In search of an evolutionary coding style

In the near future, all the human genes will be identified. But understanding the functions coded in the genes is a much harder problem. For example, by using block entropy, one has that the DNA code is closer to a random code then written text, which in turn is less ordered then an ordinary computer code; see \cite{schmitt}. Instead of saying that the DNA is badly written, using our programming standards, we might say that it is written in a different style -- an evolutionary style. We will suggest a way to search for such a style in a quantified manner by using an artificial life program, and by giving a definition of general codes and a definition of style for such codes.Comment: 14 pages, 7 postscript figure

Assessing Cognitive Complexity in Java-Based Object-Oriented Systems: Metrics and Tool Support

Software cognitive complexity refers to how demanding the mental process of performing tasks such as coding, testing, debugging, or modifying source code is. Achieving low levels of cognitive complexity is crucial for ensuring high levels of software maintainability, which is one of the most rewardful software quality attributes. Therefore, in order to control and ensure software maintainability, it is first necessary to accurately quantify software cognitive complexity. In this line, this paper presents a software metric to assess cognitive complexity in Object-Oriented (OO) systems, and particularly those developed in the Java language, which is very popular among OO programming languages. The proposed metric is based on a characterization of basic control structures present in Java systems. Several algorithms to compute the metric and their materialization in the Eclipse IDE are also introduced. Finally, a theoretical validation of the metric against a framework specially designed to validate software complexity metrics is presented, and the applicability of the tool is shown by illustrating the metric in the context of ten real world Java projects and relevant metrics from the well-known Chidamber-Kemerer metric suite

Aggregated Erevnametrics: bringing together alt-metrics through Research Objects

This position paper examines the spectrum of artefacts that contribute to the research process, in the context of bibliometrics and erevnametrics. We examine how existing research evaluation techniques could be enhanced with richer information about the research process and research outputs