DOI 10.17586/0021-3454-2019-62-11-970-975
UDC 621.396.6
APPLICATION OF HALSTEAD METRICS FOR QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATION OF COMPUTER PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS
Mozhaysky Military-Space Academy, Department of Information and Computing Systems and Networks;
I. N. Koshel
A. F. Mozhaisky Military Space Academy, Department of Information Sys-tems and Networks; Head of the Faculty;
V. V. Kuznetsov
A. F. Mozhaisky Military Space Academy, Department of Information Systems and Networks ; docent
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Abstract. Halstead metrics are applied to statistical characterization of algorithms in programming languages in mnemonic and machine codes. Three programs in mnemonic codes and machine codes are chosen as the studied objects; the programs implement a branching algorithm, an algorithm associated with array pro-cessing, and an algorithm using a subroutine, correspondingly. The derived estimates of the programs length are established to differ significantly from the values obtained as a result of direct analysis of pro-gram texts. It is proved that the transition from programming in mnemonic codes to machine codes in the implementation of algorithms significantly increases the program volume. The lower the level of the pro-gramming language used, the larger the volume of the program, which as a result leads to an increase in the number of potential errors and a decrease in the reliability of software functioning.
Keywords: Halstead metrics, operator, operand, length, program dictionary, programming language level, program value, software reliability
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