UnderstandingtheSQALEModel

Dr.EduardoMiranda
CMU
February4th,2015

SQALEModel
Factors
Qualitymodel

Sub
Characteristic characteristic

Rule

Maintainability

Filesize(LOC)<1000

Readability

Non complianceswith
SQALEqualitymodel

File1

File2

Filen

Remediation&Non
Remediationcost

Non
Remediation
Remediation factor
(cost incurred
factor
(costof
bynot
rectifyinga
rectifyinga
singlenon
singlenon
compliance) compliance)

File1

10

4,10

2,4

100

1000

10

15

File2

Filen

Thecodefollow
consistentindentation
rules
Understandability

Testability

Unittesting
testability
Numberofind. test
pathswithinamodule
(v(G))<15
Numberofparameters
inamodulecall(NOP)
<7

2015(c)EduardoMiranda

2,4

14,200

3,30

3,15
2

Factorsandtypes
Rules

Filesize(LOC)<
1000
Thecodefollow
consistent
indentationrules

Remediation
type

Repair action

Example

Remediation
factor(hours)

Type1

Corrigiblewithanautomatedtool,norisk

Changeintheindentation

Type2

Manualremediation,butnoimpactoncompilation

Addsomecomments

Type3

Localimpact,needonlyunittesting

Replaceaninstructionbyanother

Type4

Mediumimpact,needintegrationtesting

Cutabigfunctionintwo

Type5

Largeimpact,needacompletevalidation

Changewithinthearchitecture

Inordertoavoidhavingtospecifyremediationandnonremediationfactorsfor
eachrule,thesearemappedinto5remediationtypesand5nonremediation
consequences.Tomaketheanalysismeaningfulfromaneconomicperspective,
theseshouldreflecttheactualconsequencestotheorganization
Non
remediation
type

Consequences

Example

Numberofind. test
pathswithina
module(v(G))<15

Blocking

Willormayresultinafailure

Divisionbyzero

1,000

High

Wilhaveahigh/directimpactonthemaintainancecost

Copyandpaste

100

Numberof
parametersina
modulecall(NOP)
<7

Medium

Willhaveamedium/potentialimpactonthemaintainancecost

Complexlogic

15

Low

Wilhavealowimpactonthemaintainancecost

Namingconvention

10

Report

Verylowimpact,itisjustaremediationcostreport

Presentationissue

2015(c)EduardoMiranda

Non
Remediation
Factor

SQALEsHierarchies

2015(c)EduardoMiranda

Indicesandconsolidateindices
Characteristic

File1

File2

Filen

Indices

Reusability

SRuI

Portability

SPI

Maintainability

File1

File2

Filen

4,10
2,4

SMI

2,4

Security

14,200

SSI

Efficiency

SEI

Changeability

SCI

Reliability

SRI

14

14

Testability

3,15

STI

Technicaldebt=SQI

2015(c)EduardoMiranda

SCRuI =17

SCPI=17

SCMI=17

SCSI=17

SCEI=3

SCCI=3

SCRI=3

SCTI=3

SCRuI =2

SCPI=2

SCMI=2

SCSI=0

SCEI=0

SCCI=0

SCRI=0

SCTI=0

SCRuI =9

SCPI=9

SCMI=9

SCSI=9

SCEI=3

SCCI= 3

SCRI= 3

Consolidatedindices

SCTI=3

3,12

17

28

BusinessImpact
Sub
Characteristic characteristic

File1

File2

Filen

File1

File2

Filen

SBII

Reusability
Portability
Maintainability

Readability

4,10
2,4

14

2,4

18

Understandability
Security

14,200

200

200

Efficiency
Changeability
Reliability
Testability

Unittesting
testability

3,15

15

15

30

3,15

BusinessImpactIndex=SBII

2015(c)EduardoMiranda

29

215

248

SQALE
recommendation

Strategies

Areaofconcern

AdaptedfromSourceCodeQualityEvaluation:
TheSQALEmethod,Letouzey,2011

2015(c)EduardoMiranda

SQALEPyramid:Discussion
Whilethepyramidmakessenseintermsofitslevels,impact
shouldbemeasuredbythenonremediationcostandnotby
thecostoffixingit

TheSQALEMethodfor
EvaluatingTechnicalDebt
JeanLouisLetouzey,ICSE2012

2015(c)EduardoMiranda

Byfixingtestability
firstyouavoidthe
recurrent,non
remediation costof
testingnon
compliancesevery
timeyourepair
somethinghigherup
intheSQALEpyramid

Thesearethe
remediationcostsof
eachcharacteristic.
Thesecostsdonot
recur. Onceyoufixthe
noncompliancesthey
aregone

Questions?

2015(c)EduardoMiranda