{"title":"Stochastic reliability growth: A model with applications to computer software faults and hardware design faults","authors":"B. Littlewood","doi":"10.1145/800003.807922","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800003.807922","url":null,"abstract":"An assumption commonly made in early models of software reliability is that the failure rate of a program is a constant multiple of the number of faults remaining. This implies that all faults have the same effect upon the overall failure rate. The assumption is challenged and an alternative proposed. The suggested model results in earlier fault-fixes having a greater effect than later ones (the worst faults show themselves earlier and so are fixed earlier), and the DFR property between fault-fixes (confidence in programs increases during periods of failure-free operations, as well as at fault-fixes). The model shows a high degree of mathematical tractability, and allows a range of reliability measures to be calculated exactly. Predictions of total execution time to achieve a target reliability, and total number of fault-fixes to target reliability, are obtained. It is suggested that the model might also find applications in those hardware reliability growth situations where design errors are being eliminated.","PeriodicalId":262059,"journal":{"name":"Measurement and evaluation of software quality","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122223088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P. A. Szulewski, Mark H. Whitworth, P. Buchan, J. DeWolf
{"title":"The measurement of software science parameters in software designs","authors":"P. A. Szulewski, Mark H. Whitworth, P. Buchan, J. DeWolf","doi":"10.1145/800003.807912","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800003.807912","url":null,"abstract":"Metrics of software quality have historically focused on code quality despite the importance of early and continuous quality evaluation in a software development effort. While software science metrics have been used to measure the psychological complexity of computer programs as well as other quality related aspects of algorithm construction, techniques to measure software design quality have not been adequately addressed. In this paper, software design quality is emphasized. A general formalism for expressing software designs is presented, and a technique for identifying and counting software science parameters in design media is proposed.","PeriodicalId":262059,"journal":{"name":"Measurement and evaluation of software quality","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128089068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"System development methodology or system research methodology?","authors":"Donald T. Coughlin","doi":"10.1145/800003.807902","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800003.807902","url":null,"abstract":"A future data processing historian may someday point to the 1970s as the deoade when business application systems began their adolescent growth period. We entered the 1970s with few truly on-line business systems, and many application designers did not fully appreciate the capabilities and limitation of index sequential file structures. Many of the larger companies were busy writing their own tp monitors and file handling systems, and it is very possible that more professional hours were being devoted to the development of control program software than to applications software.\u0000 The last decade did provide the application programmer with new control program tools such as data base management systems and on-line terminal control software. It also generated a continuing demand for computer performance software specialists to tune application systems immediately after initial implementation. These performance tuning efforts often required substantial changes to the application system - not just program code but also basic redesign. Therefore were these really system development projects or were they system research projects?","PeriodicalId":262059,"journal":{"name":"Measurement and evaluation of software quality","volume":"23 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121194496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Test metrics for software quality","authors":"James Ronback","doi":"10.1145/800003.807914","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800003.807914","url":null,"abstract":"This paper discusses Bell Northern Research's experience in utilizing an extended set of test metrics for assuring the quality of software. The theory and use of branch and path class coverage is discussed and the reaction of users in described. This paper also discusses the effect of using co-resident inspection procedures in achieving cost-effective testing for a high degree of test coverage.","PeriodicalId":262059,"journal":{"name":"Measurement and evaluation of software quality","volume":"57 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122805402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"SOFTDOC - A system for automated software static analysis and documentation","authors":"H. Sneed","doi":"10.1145/800003.807926","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800003.807926","url":null,"abstract":"The code itself is useless without adequate documentation. Besides that it is almost impossible to validate and verify code unless it is properly documented. Yet most of the attention of the past has been devoted to producing code and little to producing the documentation although it is obvious that it is necessary both for testing and maintaining the software product.\u0000 Software documentation can be classified according to its usage. Thus, there is a functional documentation for describing what a system does and what it is used for, and technical documentation for describing how the software is constructed and how it performs its functions. The former is directed toward the user, the latter toward the tester and maintainer. The two are, however, highly interrelated. Since the programmer seldom writes the user documentation it is necessary for those who describe what the system does, to know how it does it. An accurate technical documentation is a prerequisite for producing accurate user documentation. Finally it serves yet another purpose. Without it, it is not possible to control the quality of the software. Software Quality Control presupposes a full and up to date technical description in order to assess the characteristics of the system such as modularity, portability, reliability, etc.","PeriodicalId":262059,"journal":{"name":"Measurement and evaluation of software quality","volume":"53 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122903770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Adaptive search techniques applied to software testing","authors":"J. Benson","doi":"10.1145/800003.807915","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800003.807915","url":null,"abstract":"An experiment was performed in which executable assertions were used in conjuction with search techniques in order to test a computer program automatically. The program chosen for the experiment computes a position on an orbit from the description of the orbit and the desired point.\u0000 Errors were interested in the program randomly using an error generation method based on published data defining common error types. Assertions were written for program and it was tested using two different techniques. The first divided up the range of the input variables and selected test cases from within the sub-ranges. In this way a “grid” of test values was constructed over the program's input space.\u0000 The second used a search algorithm from optimization theory. This entailed using the assertions to define an error function and then maximizing its value. The program was then tested by varying all of them. The results indicate that this search testing technique was as effective as the grid testing technique in locating errors and was more efficient. In addition, the search testing technique located critical input values which helped in writing correct assertions.","PeriodicalId":262059,"journal":{"name":"Measurement and evaluation of software quality","volume":"38 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132085014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Software defects - a software science perspective","authors":"Linda M. Ottenstein","doi":"10.1145/800003.807923","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800003.807923","url":null,"abstract":"This paper gives a model for computing the programming time. The results of tests with programs in APL, BASIC, and FORTRAN are also given and discussed.","PeriodicalId":262059,"journal":{"name":"Measurement and evaluation of software quality","volume":"54 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115091169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Application prototyping: A case study","authors":"C. W. Jenkins","doi":"10.1145/800003.807905","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800003.807905","url":null,"abstract":"Accurate specification of user requirements for interactive systems is especially difficult in an environment where the demand for information is intense, short-fused and largely unpredictable.\u0000 The Congressional Budget Office was created in 1975 by an Act of Congress. Its primary mandate is to serve the Budget and Appropriation committees of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Act also defined a Congressional Budget process specifying a calendar of events and specific completion dates for major activities. This placing of budgetary actions produces a highly charged environment in which CBO must be able to respond immediately to information needs with information that is both accurate and consistent.","PeriodicalId":262059,"journal":{"name":"Measurement and evaluation of software quality","volume":"8 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116789246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluating and comparing software metrics in the software engineering laboratory","authors":"V. Basili, T. Phillips","doi":"10.1145/800003.807913","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800003.807913","url":null,"abstract":"There has appeared in the literature a great number of metrics that attempt to measure the effort or complexity in developing and understanding software(1). There have also been several attempts to independently validate these measures on data from different organizations gathered by different people(2). These metrics have many purposes. They can be used to evaluate the software development process or the software product. They can be used to estimate the cost and quality of the product. They can also be used during development and evolution of the software to monitor the stability and quality of the product.\u0000 Among the most popular metrics have been the software science metrics of Halstead, and the cyclomatic complexity metric of McCabe. One question is whether these metrics actually measure such things as effort and complexity. One measure of effort may be the time required to produce a product. One measure of complexity might be the number of errors made during the development of a product. A second question is how these metrics compare with standard size measures, such as the number of source lines or the number of executable statements, i.e., do they do a better job of predicting the effort or the number of errors? Lastly, how do these metrics relate to each other?","PeriodicalId":262059,"journal":{"name":"Measurement and evaluation of software quality","volume":"81 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122106992","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Implementing software configuration control in the structured programming environment","authors":"H. Berlack","doi":"10.1145/800003.807909","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1145/800003.807909","url":null,"abstract":"The fundamental problems in the control of software are explored. The elements of control as they relate to communications is defined, and the implementation of these elements in solving the fundamental problems and achieving optimal control during a software development life cycle, is explained.\u0000 Control is defined as a vehicle for communicating changes to established, agreed-upon baseline points, made up of documents and subsequent computer programs. By communicating change to those involved or affected, and obtaining agreement of the change, one achieves a degree of control that does not inhibit software engineering innovation or progress, but helps maintain the project's prime objectives to deliver maintainable, error-free software to the ultimate user.","PeriodicalId":262059,"journal":{"name":"Measurement and evaluation of software quality","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1981-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131066871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}