Definition and Validation of a COSMIC-FFP Functional Size Measure for Object-Oriented Systems

COSMIC Full Function Points is an ISO approved functional size measurement method for modeling and sizing software systems based on their functional user requirements. Recently, there have been some proposals to map the concepts of the COSMIC-FFP meta-model onto the concepts used in UML and other OO modeling approaches. Given the many problems with COSMIC-FFP’s main predecessor, Function Points Analysis, it is necessary to establish confidence in the validity of COSMIC-FFP as a functional size measure for OO systems, before its widespread diffusion in quantitative OO software engineering practice. In this paper we present an attempt at validating COSMIC-FFP using distance-based software measurement. This theoretical validation approach for software measures is firmly grounded in Measurement Theory and has been applied before in the validation of OO software measures.

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