Estimating Size and E ort for Object Oriented Systems

This paper presents a method for estimating the development size and eeort of object oriented software. In an approach analogous to function points, counts of the elements in a static object model are combined to produce a composite measure. Rules are proposed for counting \Object Oriented Function Points" from an object model, and several questions are identiied for empirical research. A key aspect of our method is its exibility. An organisation can experiment with diierent counting policies, to nd the most accurate predictors of size, eeort, etc. in its environment. Results are reported from a pilot project with an industrial partner. Size estimation was the subject of the study; the results are encouraging.