Making Software Metrics Useful

TL;DR

This paper discusses the underutilization of software metrics in practical decision-making and argues that a lack of understanding of measurement science has hindered their usefulness.

Contribution

It highlights the gap between software metrics development and their practical application, proposing that integrating metrology principles can improve their utility.

Findings

Software metrics are rarely used for practical decisions.

A lack of measurement science understanding limits metric usefulness.

Applying metrology principles can enhance software metrics' effectiveness.

Abstract

Most engineers use measurements to make decisions. However, measurements are rarely used for decisions about constructing software products. While many approaches to measuring attributes of software (``metrics'') have been developed, they are rarely used to answer useful questions such as ``Do I need to refactor this class?'' or ``Are these integration tests sufficient?'' Practitioners therefore question the value of software metrics. We argue that this situation arose because software metrics were developed without understanding metrology (the science of measurement) and suggest directions software metrics research should take.