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Investigating the Applicability of the Laws of Software Evolution: A Metrics Based Study

  • Conference paper
Evaluation of Novel Approaches to Software Engineering (ENASE 2013)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 417))

Abstract

The study aims at investigating empirically the applicability of Lehman’s laws of software evolution. We used a synthetic metric (Quality Assurance Indicator), which captures in an integrated way various object-oriented software attributes. The goal was to explore if the metric can be used to support the applicability of Lehman’s laws of software evolution. We focused on five laws: continuing change, increasing complexity, self-regulation, continuing growth anddeclining quality. We performed an empirical analysis using historical data collected on two open source (Java) software systems. Empirical results provide evidence that the considered Lehman’s laws are supported by the collected data and the metric.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Software Engineering Research Laboratory, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Quebec, Trois-Rivières, Québec, G9A 5H7, Canada

    Nicholas Drouin & Mourad Badri

Authors
  1. Nicholas Drouin
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  2. Mourad Badri
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. INSTICC and IPS, Estefanilha, Setúbal, Portugal

    Joaquim Filipe

  2. Department of Computing, Macquarie University, 2109,, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Leszek A. Maciaszek

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Drouin, N., Badri, M. (2013). Investigating the Applicability of the Laws of Software Evolution: A Metrics Based Study. In: Filipe, J., Maciaszek, L.A. (eds) Evaluation of Novel Approaches to Software Engineering. ENASE 2013. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 417. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54092-9_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54092-9_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-54091-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-54092-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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