Applicability of three complexity metrics

Abstract

Over the years a number of complexity metrics have been proposed. However, there have been only a few studies conducted to compare those proposed metrics in terms of their practical applicability. The few researches that have been conducted to assess the applicability of a complexity metric have also used the five properties proposed by Briand et al. However determining whether a complexity measure satisfies some theoretical complexity properties is not a reliable method of determining the practical applicability of it. Thus, the main intent of this study was to compare three proposed code complexity metrics: McCabe's cyclomatic complexity, Halstead's software science and Shao and Wangs' cognitive functional size and identify which metric is the most suitable metric that can be used in the current state of the art with the help of thirty programmers.

An Approach to Evaluate the Complexity of Block-Based Software Product

“…For this reason, with the increased usage and sophistication of software applications, many programmers are looking at ways of minimizing the complexity associated with software and thereby reduce the maintenance costs associated with them. Therefore, many software complexity metrics have been proposed over the time (De Silva et al, 2012). Kaur and Verna (2016) provided a review of the various complexity metrics that can be retrieved in the existing literature.…”