Software Pattern Laws and Partial Repeatability

Physical or statistical laws embody the nature of full repeatability. However patterns exist in various fields, and are featured with the nature of partial repeatability. A given concept and the collection of its various corresponding observations in reality form a pattern. Pattern laws are patterns of patterns, and software pattern laws are just pattern laws in software engineering. In this paper we present a general discussion on patterns and (software) patterns laws in comparison with physical or statistical laws, and treat laws of software products, or Halstead’s software science, and laws of software processes, or Lehman’s laws of software evolution, as example software pattern laws. The nature of partial repeatability of software benefits to as well as sets limits to software reliability improvements and validation.

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