Complexity metrics as predictors of maintainability and ıntegrability of software components

Abstract

The work presented in this paper introduces a set of metrics for component oriented software systems. The work focuses mainly on the complexity that results mainly from factors related to system structure and connectivity. Also, a new set of properties that a component-oriented complexity metric must possess are defined. The metrics have been evaluated using the properties defined in this paper. A case study has been conducted to detect the power of complexity metrics in predicting integration and maintenance efforts. The results of the study revealed that component oriented complexity metrics can be of great value in predicting both integration and maintenance efforts.