Bulldozer00's Blog

The figure below shows some source code level metrics that I collected on my last C++ programming project. I only collected them because the process was low ceremony, simple, and unobtrusive. I ran the source code tree through an easy to use metrics tool on a daily basis. The plots in the figure show the sequential growth in:

• The number of Source Lines Of Code (SLOC)
• The number of classes
• The number of class methods (functions)
• The number of source code files

So Whoopee. I kept track of metrics during the 60 day construction phase of this project. The question is: “How can a graph like this help me improve my personal software development process?”.

The slope of the SLOC curve, which measured my velocity throughout the duration, doesn’t tell me anything my intution can’t deduce. For the first 30 days, my velocity was relatively constant as I coded, unit tested, and integrated my way toward the finished program. Whoopee. During the last 30 days, my velocity essentially went to zero as I ran end-to-end system tests (which were designed and documented before the construction phase, BTW) and refactored my way to the end game. Whoopee. Did I need a plot to tell me this?

I’ll assert that the pattern in the plot will be unspectacularly similar for each project I undertake in the future. Depending on the nature/complexity/size of the application functionality that will need to be implemented, only the “tilt” and the time length will be different. Nevertheless, I can foresee a historical collection of these graphs being used to predict better future cost estimates, but not being used much to help me improve my personal “process”.

What’s not represented in the graph is a metric that captures the first 60 days of problem analysis and high level design effort that I did during  the front end. OMG! Did I use the dreaded waterfall methodology? Shame on me.