From rules to principles : COSMIC



Up to 1998 all methods to express functional size of software were rule-based. Performing the measurement rules led to a number of points that we call the size. Whether they were object points, use case points or function points, all these methods have a measurement procedure to award a part of the Fuctional User Requirements that satisfies a number of assessment criteria, with a defined number of points. To determine the number of points you must apply the rules. A group of people who were involved in the conception of ISO/IEC 14143 wanted to use the principles they had described to create a new generation of Functional Size Measurement method with a clear and defined measurement unit. Based on that unit a method could be created, based on principles to identify instances of that unit, rather than on rules. Out of that process, COSMIC was born.

Here is a piece of COSMIC history.

What is a second generation FSM method

Every now and again there is debate amongst practitioners of Functional Size Measurement about the best Functional Size Measurement method. In essence there is nothing wrong with such a debate.

Professionals should always be seeking ways to improve their profession. Discussions about the best way to do so are a logical part of such a quest. But they should be done based on the right arguments. And one of those arguments is often wrong in my point of view. That is the generation argument. I notice that there is a lot of misconception about what is meant with generation in relation to Functional Size Measurement. In my blogpost of January I discussed the first generation. In this one I will discuss the second generation of Functional Size Measurement.