9,045 research outputs found
Towards making functional size measurement easily usable in practice
Functional Size Measurement methods \u2013like the IFPUG Function Point Analysis and COSMIC methods\u2013 are widely used to quantify the size of applications. However, the measurement process is often too long or too expensive, or it requires more knowledge than available when development effort estimates are due. To overcome these problems, simplified measurement methods have been proposed.
This research explores easily usable functional size measurement method, aiming to improve efficiency, reduce difficulty and cost, and make functional size measurement widely adopted in practice.
The first stage of the research involved the study of functional size measurement methods (in particular Function Point Analysis and COSMIC), simplified methods, and measurement based on measurement-oriented models.
Then, we modeled a set of applications in a measurement-oriented way, and obtained UML models suitable for functional size measurement. From these UML models we derived both functional size measures and object-oriented measures. Using these measures it was possible to:
1) Evaluate existing simplified functional size measurement methods and derive our own simplified model.
2) Explore whether simplified method can be used in various stages of modeling and evaluate their accuracy.
3) Analyze the relationship between functional size measures and object oriented measures.
In addition, the conversion between FPA and COSMIC was studied as an alternative simplified functional size measurement process.
Our research revealed that:
1) In general it is possible to size software via simplified measurement processes with acceptable accuracy. In particular, the simplification of the measurement process allows the measurer to skip the function weighting phases, which are usually expensive, since they require a thorough analysis of the details of both data and operations. The models obtained from out dataset yielded results that are similar to those reported in the literature.
All simplified measurement methods that use predefined weights for all the transaction and data types identified in Function Point Analysis provided similar results, characterized by acceptable accuracy. On the contrary, methods that rely on just one of the elements that contribute to functional size tend to be quite inaccurate. In general, different methods showed different accuracy for Real-Time and non Real-Time applications.
2) It is possible to write progressively more detailed and complete UML models of user requirements that provide the data required by the simplified COSMIC methods. These models yield progressively more accurate measures of the modeled software. Initial measures are based on simple models and are obtained quickly and with little effort. As
V
models grow in completeness and detail, the measures increase their accuracy. Developers that use UML for requirements modeling can obtain early estimates of the applications\u2018 sizes at the beginning of the development process, when only very simple UML models have been built for the applications, and can obtain increasingly more accurate size estimates while the knowledge of the products increases and UML models are refined accordingly.
3) Both Function Point Analysis and COSMIC functional size measures appear correlated to object-oriented measures. In particular, associations with basic object- oriented measures were found: Function Points appear associated with the number of classes, the number of attributes and the number of methods; CFP appear associated with the number of attributes. This result suggests that even a very basic UML model, like a class diagram, can support size measures that appear equivalent to functional size measures (which are much harder to obtain). Actually, object-oriented measures can be obtained automatically from models, thus dramatically decreasing the measurement effort, in comparison with functional size measurement.
In addition, we proposed conversion method between Function Points and COSMIC based on analytical criteria.
Our research has expanded the knowledge on how to simplify the methods for measuring the functional size of the software, i.e., the measure of functional user requirements. Basides providing information immediately usable by developers, the researchalso presents examples of analysis that can be replicated by other researchers, to increase the reliability and generality of the results
Towards making functional size measurement easily usable in practice
Functional Size Measurement methods âlike the IFPUG Function Point Analysis and COSMIC methodsâ are widely used to quantify the size of applications. However, the measurement process is often too long or too expensive, or it requires more knowledge than available when development effort estimates are due. To overcome these problems, simplified measurement methods have been proposed.
This research explores easily usable functional size measurement method, aiming to improve efficiency, reduce difficulty and cost, and make functional size measurement widely adopted in practice.
The first stage of the research involved the study of functional size measurement methods (in particular Function Point Analysis and COSMIC), simplified methods, and measurement based on measurement-oriented models.
Then, we modeled a set of applications in a measurement-oriented way, and obtained UML models suitable for functional size measurement. From these UML models we derived both functional size measures and object-oriented measures. Using these measures it was possible to:
1) Evaluate existing simplified functional size measurement methods and derive our own simplified model.
2) Explore whether simplified method can be used in various stages of modeling and evaluate their accuracy.
3) Analyze the relationship between functional size measures and object oriented measures.
In addition, the conversion between FPA and COSMIC was studied as an alternative simplified functional size measurement process.
Our research revealed that:
1) In general it is possible to size software via simplified measurement processes with acceptable accuracy. In particular, the simplification of the measurement process allows the measurer to skip the function weighting phases, which are usually expensive, since they require a thorough analysis of the details of both data and operations. The models obtained from out dataset yielded results that are similar to those reported in the literature.
All simplified measurement methods that use predefined weights for all the transaction and data types identified in Function Point Analysis provided similar results, characterized by acceptable accuracy. On the contrary, methods that rely on just one of the elements that contribute to functional size tend to be quite inaccurate. In general, different methods showed different accuracy for Real-Time and non Real-Time applications.
2) It is possible to write progressively more detailed and complete UML models of user requirements that provide the data required by the simplified COSMIC methods. These models yield progressively more accurate measures of the modeled software. Initial measures are based on simple models and are obtained quickly and with little effort. As
V
models grow in completeness and detail, the measures increase their accuracy. Developers that use UML for requirements modeling can obtain early estimates of the applicationsâ sizes at the beginning of the development process, when only very simple UML models have been built for the applications, and can obtain increasingly more accurate size estimates while the knowledge of the products increases and UML models are refined accordingly.
3) Both Function Point Analysis and COSMIC functional size measures appear correlated to object-oriented measures. In particular, associations with basic object- oriented measures were found: Function Points appear associated with the number of classes, the number of attributes and the number of methods; CFP appear associated with the number of attributes. This result suggests that even a very basic UML model, like a class diagram, can support size measures that appear equivalent to functional size measures (which are much harder to obtain). Actually, object-oriented measures can be obtained automatically from models, thus dramatically decreasing the measurement effort, in comparison with functional size measurement.
In addition, we proposed conversion method between Function Points and COSMIC based on analytical criteria.
Our research has expanded the knowledge on how to simplify the methods for measuring the functional size of the software, i.e., the measure of functional user requirements. Basides providing information immediately usable by developers, the researchalso presents examples of analysis that can be replicated by other researchers, to increase the reliability and generality of the results
Characterization of the Atmospheric Muon Flux in IceCube
Muons produced in atmospheric cosmic ray showers account for the by far
dominant part of the event yield in large-volume underground particle
detectors. The IceCube detector, with an instrumented volume of about a cubic
kilometer, has the potential to conduct unique investigations on atmospheric
muons by exploiting the large collection area and the possibility to track
particles over a long distance. Through detailed reconstruction of energy
deposition along the tracks, the characteristics of muon bundles can be
quantified, and individual particles of exceptionally high energy identified.
The data can then be used to constrain the cosmic ray primary flux and the
contribution to atmospheric lepton fluxes from prompt decays of short-lived
hadrons.
In this paper, techniques for the extraction of physical measurements from
atmospheric muon events are described and first results are presented. The
multiplicity spectrum of TeV muons in cosmic ray air showers for primaries in
the energy range from the knee to the ankle is derived and found to be
consistent with recent results from surface detectors. The single muon energy
spectrum is determined up to PeV energies and shows a clear indication for the
emergence of a distinct spectral component from prompt decays of short-lived
hadrons. The magnitude of the prompt flux, which should include a substantial
contribution from light vector meson di-muon decays, is consistent with current
theoretical predictions.Comment: 36 pages, 39 figure
Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 204
This bibliography lists 140 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in February 1980
Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays
This is a review of the most resent results from the investigation of the
Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays, particles of energy exceeding 10 eV. After
a general introduction to the topic and a brief review of the lower energy
cosmic rays and the detection methods, the two most recent experiments, the
High Resolution Fly's Eye (HiRes) and the Southern Auger Observatory are
described. We then concentrate on the results from these two experiments on the
cosmic ray energy spectrum, the chemical composition of these cosmic rays and
on the searches for their sources. We conclude with a brief analysis of the
controversies in these results and the projects in development and construction
that can help solve the remaining problems with these particles.Comment: 40 pages, 27 figure
EChO Payload electronics architecture and SW design
EChO is a three-modules (VNIR, SWIR, MWIR), highly integrated spectrometer,
covering the wavelength range from 0.55 m, to 11.0 m. The baseline
design includes the goal wavelength extension to 0.4 m while an optional
LWIR module extends the range to the goal wavelength of 16.0 m.
An Instrument Control Unit (ICU) is foreseen as the main electronic subsystem
interfacing the spacecraft and collecting data from all the payload
spectrometers modules. ICU is in charge of two main tasks: the overall payload
control (Instrument Control Function) and the housekeepings and scientific data
digital processing (Data Processing Function), including the lossless
compression prior to store the science data to the Solid State Mass Memory of
the Spacecraft. These two main tasks are accomplished thanks to the Payload On
Board Software (P-OBSW) running on the ICU CPUs.Comment: Experimental Astronomy - EChO Special Issue 201
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