GKS/Ada post mortem, a cost analysis

This paper presents results and conclusions of a Research Program which, among other tasks, performed analyses of empirical data gathered from completed Ada projects and explored alternative methods for Ada cost modeling and estimation. Among others, the project performed a detailed parametric cost analysis on a 140,000 line of code implementation of the ANSI/IS0 standard Graphical Kernel System (GKS). [1]. This paper presents detailed data and the results of comparing the semicolon count line of code metric with the Boehm line of code metric. It also presents the method and results of accounting for reusability and fits a Cocomo semidetached model to the cost data for the 12 levels of GKS/Ada with a correlation coefficient of 92%. This paper recommends: Continuing parametric analysis of Ada costing as more project data becomes available. Exploring alternative size measures and deriving new factors to model the effects of reusability. The development of Automated tools to derive sufficiently detailed, in-depth information from Ada projects as they progress. Development of a Integrated Software Cost Management System that melds the cost estimation activities with the development process.