Software Engineering

Table 4.4 
Structural Density Complexity Measure Descriptions
Name
Description
Measure
Structural density
The overall challenge imposed by the structural arrangement of a software configuration 
item in terms of the software integration effort.
Parameters
Extensive (EX)
The number of structural components that involve the integration of 10 or more structural 
elements.
Excessive (E)
The number of structural components that involve the integration of 7, 8, or 9 structural 
elements.
Significant (S)
The number of structural components that involve the integration of 4, 5, or 6 structural 
elements
Moderate (M)
The number of structural components that involve the integration of 3 or fewer structural 
elements.
Example
Method of calculation
Each structural component evaluated by subject matter experts and categorized based 
on the number of structural elements (subcomponents or units) that are involved in its 
integration. The number in each category is multiplied by its complexity rating (10 for 
extensive; 7 for excessive; 4 for significant; 1 for moderate) and the integration complexity 
rating is computed by summing the rating for each category. The integration complexity 
rating is then divided by the total number of structural components to arrive at a structural 
density measure of complexity.
Formula
(
( )
( )) /
10
7
4
(EX)
(E)
S
M
Total no.  of  structural  componen
×
+
tts
For this example problem, assume that the software structural configuration involves the 
following parametrics involving structural component integration:
EX 
=
  1 structural component which involves the integration of 10 or more structural 
elements.
 
E 
=
  4 structural components which involve the integration of 7, 8 or 9 structural elements.
 
S 
=
  7 structural components which involve the integration of 4, 5 or 6 structural elements.
 
M 
=
  38 structural components which involve the integration of 3 or fewer structural 
elements.
This example of structural density identifies a 
moderately
 complex software configuration.
Complexity levels
Extremely complex: 
>
 5
Very complex: between 4 and 4.999
Highly complex: between 3 and 3.999
Moderately complex: between 2 and 2.999
Routine complexity: between 1 and 1.999
(
)
(
)
(
)
(
)
10
1
7
4
7
38
104
4
Total no. of  structural  componennts
1 4
7
38
50
104 50
2 08
/
.

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