The wonderful wizard of LoC: Paying attention to the man behind the curtain of lines-of-code metrics

Kalev Alpernas, Yotam M.Y. Feldman, Hila Peleg

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Lines-of-code metrics (loc) are commonly reported in Programming Languages (PL), Software Engineering (SE), and Systems papers. This convention has several different, often contradictory, goals, including demonstrating the 'hardness' of a problem, and demonstrating the 'easiness' of a problem. In many cases, the reporting of loc metrics is done not with a clearly communicated intention, but instead in an automatic, checkbox-ticking, manner. In this paper we investigate the uses of code metrics in PL, SE, and System papers. We consider the different goals that reporting metrics aims to achieve, several various domains wherein metrics are relevant, and various alternative metrics and their pros and cons for the different goals and domains. We argue that communicating claims about research software is usually best achieved not by reporting quantitative metrics, but by reporting the qualitative experience of researchers, and propose guidelines for the cases when quantitative metrics are appropriate. We end with a case study of the one area in which lines of code are not the default measurement-code produced by papers' solutions-and identify how measurements offered are used to support an explicit claim about the algorithm. Inspired by this positive example, we call for other cogent measures to be developed to support other claims authors wish to make.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationOnward! 2020 - Proceedings of the 2020 ACM SIGPLAN International Symposium on New Ideas, New Paradigms, and Reflections on Programming and Software, Co-located with SPLASH 2020
EditorsStephen Kell, Didier Verna
Pages146-156
Number of pages11
ISBN (Electronic)9781450381789
DOIs
StatePublished - 8 Nov 2020
Event2020 ACM SIGPLAN International Symposium on New Ideas, New Paradigms, and Reflections on Programming and Software, Onward! 2020, co-located with SPLASH 2020 - Virtual, Online, United States
Duration: 18 Nov 202020 Nov 2020

Publication series

NameOnward! 2020 - Proceedings of the 2020 ACM SIGPLAN International Symposium on New Ideas, New Paradigms, and Reflections on Programming and Software, Co-located with SPLASH 2020

Conference

Conference2020 ACM SIGPLAN International Symposium on New Ideas, New Paradigms, and Reflections on Programming and Software, Onward! 2020, co-located with SPLASH 2020
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityVirtual, Online
Period18/11/2020/11/20

Keywords

  • lines of code
  • loc
  • research papers

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Software
  • Computer Science Applications

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The wonderful wizard of LoC: Paying attention to the man behind the curtain of lines-of-code metrics'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this