RE: programmer productivity.

How does one count lines of code?  Lets say the job is to write a program 
and I do what I usually do and find a program like the one wanted and copy 
it,  modify it with changes, and clean up some old messy sections.  In the 
end the new program is 300 lines shorter than the one I'd copied.  Did I 
have a good day, a bad day, or a horrible day?


_______________________
Booth Martin
Booth@MartinVT.com
http://www.MartinVT.com
_______________________




"Richard Jackson" <richardjackson@richardjackson.net>
Sent by: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com
11/10/2000 09:04 AM
Please respond to MIDRANGE-L

 
        To:     <MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com>
        cc: 
        Subject:        RE: programmer productivity.

About 15 years ago, I spent a bunch of time looking at this problem.  I 
also
did a presentation at Common about it.  At that time, no system of
measurement produced better fidelity than lines of code (LOC).  LOC is
flawed because its scope is narrow and its definition contains serious
flaws.  In order to heal the definition problem, one must account for the
effect of complexity on LOC.

Richard Jackson
Richard Jackson and Associates Ltd.
IBM Business Partner
mailto:richardjackson@richardjackson.net
http://www.richardjacksonltd.com
Telephone: 1 (303) 808-8058


-|-----Original Message-----
-|From: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com
-|[mailto:owner-midrange-l@midrange.com]On Behalf Of Gary R. Patterson
-|Sent: Friday, November 10, 2000 2:36 AM
-|To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
-|Subject: RE: programmer productivity.
-|
-|
-|Lots of ways to measure programmer productivity.  A few ideas:
-|
-|Developers: Lines of code vs. defects in produced code.
-|Developers: Performance to project timelines vs. defects.
-|Developers: Performance to task estimate vs. defects.  Really needs
-|standardized estimates.
-|Maintenance programmers:  Number of fixes (weighted for complexity) vs.
-|defects in fixed code.
-|
-|Subjective measurements, too: Code review, standards compliance, peer 
and
-|supervisor performance evaluation.
-|
-|Of course, you have to measure non-coding tasks, too.  Some of the above
-|metrics apply.
-|
-|1) Start tracking defects, and charge them to the responsible
-|individual or
-|team.  (Have security walk you to the car for the first week or two.)
-|2) Implement detailed time reporting.  (Watch out for mail that ticks.)
-|3) Implement code reviews (good idea anyway).  Standard criteria, 
rotating
-|responsibility.  Check for standards compliance.  (This way you
-|can share a
-|little of the heat with your senior staff.)
-|4) Implement an estimating methodology.  (Big fun.  Nothing like a 
rousing
-|afternoon of function-point counting.)
-|5) Start tracking performance to estimate and performance to timeline.
-|(Avoid food and beverages that are not prepared in your presence.)
-|
-|Enjoy.  Might actually even improve productivity and quality, if you can
-|manage it effectively.
-|
-|Gary R. Patterson
-|
-|
-|
-|-----Original Message-----
-|From: owner-midrange-l@midrange.com
-|[mailto:owner-midrange-l@midrange.com]On Behalf Of midrange
-|Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2000 1:29 PM
-|To: MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
-|Subject: Re: programmer productivity.
-|
-|
-|I have been ask by accountants to provide them with a way to measure our
-|programmers productivity.
-|
-|
-|I know what I think is productive. fast accurate turnaround on projects.
-|
-|does anyone one else have any comments.
-|
-|thank you jeff grace
-|
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