Software Metrics and the Great Pyramid of Giza

Most software engineers hate metrics… Why? Because we know the work we do is hard to quantify – any measurement of 'software engineering' is like trying to tell how tall someone is by how much they weigh… There may be some correlation, but there is so much deviation as to make the answer practically meaningless. As a result, we often see metrics used to justify improper conclusions. There are plenty of good metrics though, and plenty of ways to use them effectively.

In this presentation we will analyze what makes a 'good' metric, why some metrics are 'bad', and how you can use them to make meaningful measurements of your projects. We will look at several methods for gathering metrics too, including some open source tools you can put to use immediately.

About David Bock

David Bock is a Principal Consultant at CodeSherpas, a company he founded in 2007. Mr. Bock is also the President of the Northern Virginia Java Users Group, the Editor of O'Reilly's OnJava.com website, and a frequent speaker on technology in venues such as the No Fluff Just Stuff Software Symposiums.

In January 2006, Mr. Bock was honored by being awarded the title of Java Champion by a panel of esteemed leaders in the Java Community in a program sponsored by Sun. There are approximately 100 active Java Champions worldwide.

David has also served on several JCP panels, including the Specification of the Java 6 Platform and the upcoming Java Module System.

In addition to his public speaking and training activities, Mr. Bock actively consults as a software engineer, project manager, and team mentor for commercial and government clients.

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