Application of a Revised DIT Metric to Redesign an OO Design

Abstract

In this paper, we continue a series of papers that discuss specific design metrics [Alkadi 1999] [Alkadi 2000] [Alkadi 2001] [Alkadi 1998]. The design metric discussed in this paper is the Depth of Inheritance [DIT] metric. Design evaluation is a recurring step that should be performed and checked multiple times before committing to the final design implementation. Metrics are utilized to evaluate inheritance and reuse in order to take into account the greater number of abstraction levels inherent in object-oriented systems. Furthermore, they facilitate the designers to address cost estimation and product quality across all life-cycle stages of developing the final product.