Function point measurement tool for UML design specification

Abstract

Function point analysis (FPA) was originally proposed to help measure the size of a computerized business information system. It is now widely used in actual software development. However, it has been reported that, since function point counting involves judgment on the part of the counter, some differences would be caused between copies of the same product, even within the same organization. In this paper, we propose detailed FPA measurement rules for design specifications based on UML (Unified Modeling Language) and we develop a function point measurement tool, whose input products are design specifications on Rational Rose. We have also applied the tool in an actual design specification and have examined the difference between the values obtained using the tool and those given by an FPA specialist. The results show the applicability of our tool.