From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.4 required=5.0 tests=AC_FROM_MANY_DOTS,BAYES_00 autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,971aa11c293c3db1 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-07-19 12:17:18 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!colt.net!newspeer.clara.net!news.clara.net!psiuk-p2!uknet!psiuk-n!news.pace.co.uk!nh.pace.co.uk!not-for-mail From: "Marin David Condic" Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Ada The Best Language? Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 14:29:29 -0400 Organization: Posted on a server owned by Pace Micro Technology plc Message-ID: <9j78u8$atl$1@nh.pace.co.uk> References: <3B59EE1C@MailAndNews.com> <5be89e2f.0107180606.7185b1cb@posting.google.com> <3B559E79.F21DBE5C@earthlink.net> <5be89e2f.0107181231.40bde882@posting.google.com> <5VB57.119$%1.8915@news3.oke.nextra.no> NNTP-Posting-Host: 136.170.200.133 X-Trace: nh.pace.co.uk 995567368 11189 136.170.200.133 (19 Jul 2001 18:29:28 GMT) X-Complaints-To: newsmaster@pace.co.uk NNTP-Posting-Date: 19 Jul 2001 18:29:28 GMT X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.lang.ada:10268 Date: 2001-07-19T18:29:28+00:00 List-Id: There are no accepted standard measures of productivity in the software business. If we were talking concrete sidewalks, we could stipulate dimensions and industry accepted construction materials and measures of quality, then start laying sidewalk and measuring time. (Or dollars. Same thing) The problem is that software almost *never* attacks an identical problem twice and even among similar projects, you almost *never* do it with an identical set of tools. Hence you can't control all the variables going in, so you can't attribute any perceived changes as being due to the language (or some other single variable of study.) Its a really intractable problem. If we at least had some quantifiable measure of units of work and some quantifiable measure of quality, we might stand a chance of counting hours or dollars in. But I defy anybody to stipulate some units of work and some units of quality that isn't going to start a firestorm here with arguments all over the place about why the metrics picked miss some critical factors that change the whole game. I know - I've been there and done that. :-) MDC -- Marin David Condic Senior Software Engineer Pace Micro Technology Americas www.pacemicro.com Enabling the digital revolution e-Mail: marin.condic@pacemicro.com Web: http://www.mcondic.com/ "Leif Roar Moldskred" wrote in message news:5VB57.119$%1.8915@news3.oke.nextra.no... > codesavvy wrote: > > > Questions regarding productiviy are bogus? > > Umm, yes they are actually - unless you clearly define what metric > "productivity" is to be measured by. Lines of code per hour? Average > time to release? Total life-cycle cost? Man-hours needed to reach a > certain level of quality? What level? Cost per line of code? What kind > of projects should be measured? What weighting should be given to the > various kinds of projects? > > If project A finishes in 2/3 of the time it takes project B to finish > (with identical scores of the results), but the code of A is so shoddy > that any major changes to it means a complete rewrite, whereas with > code B you can just add a couple of modules and write some interface > code - which project was the "most productive"? > > Questions about productivity that are as general as yours were, _are_ > bogus. (And don't get me started about "synergy"). > > > Leif Roar Moldskred > professional lurker