Complexity measure for the Prototype System Description Language (PSDL)

Abstract

"We often misunderstand, ill define or improperly measure the complexity of software. Software complexity is represented by the degree of complication of a system determined by such factors as control flow, information flow, the degree of nesting, the types of data structures, and other system characteristics, such as unconventional architectures. However, a common notion of software complexity fulfills a non-functional requirement, that of understandability. How well do we understand the control flow, the data structure, etc? Rapid prototyping is an excellent tool to define system requirements and decrease developmental risk. Software complexity measured early (i.e., during prototyping), helps to minimize the complexity, which in turn helps to decrease the developmental risk also. The Prototype System Description Language (PSDL) provides the necessary code to achieve rapid prototyping. As a result, we have a need to accurately measure the complexity of PSDL."-- p. i.