| dc.description.abstract | This paper explores the role of software readability on software development cost. We
argue that the up front cost of incorporating software readability pays off handsomely at
later stages in the life cycle, especially at the maintenance phase which is where most of
the life cycle cost of software is expended. Our analysis of different software
development activities shows that software readability has a global effect on software
development cost and is independent of software size (i.e., KSLOC). Moreover, we
explore the links between software readability and programming domain knowledge.
This paper is organized into the following three sections: overview of software
readability, how readability fits into the context of software cost estimation, and how
results can lead to the development of a new COCOMO cost driver focused on software
readability. | en_US |
