Means by which software engineers measure and predict aspects of processes, resources, and products that are relevant to the software engineering activity
Methods that a company has come up with to measure something, like effectiveness of a training program, IT productivity, customer satisfaction (Concept)
are measures posessing metric properties which express the degree or strength of a quality factor Metrics are obtained by an objective measurement method Their scale of measurement is known, they posess scale metric properties, known maxima, minima and reference values, their reliability and validity are known Metrics are interpreted according to the context in which they were measured Metrics allow comparisons between applications, as well as between alternative versions of a single developing application, and comparisons with reference values Conformance to standards and minimal requirements can be tested with metrics Some metrics tell about the performance of the user applying an application to his work (e g efficiency of use, learning effort, errors) Other metrics predict quality of use factors on the basis of a user interface specification, prototype, or fully functional product, and an underlying user model
{i} theory of metrical composition (Poetry, Music); particular metrical characteristics of a work; science of measurement (Mathematics)
Often used interchangeably with measurements However, it is helpful to separate these definitions Metrics are the various parameters or ways of looking at a process that is to be measured Metrics define what is to be measured Some metrics are specialized, so they can't be directly benchmarked or interpreted outside a mission-specific business unit Other measures will be generic, and they can be aggregated across business units, e g cycle time, customer satisfaction, and financial results
A prescribed set of measurements to track product development and allow a firm to measure the impact of process improvements over time These measures generally vary by firm, but may include measures characterizing both aspects of the process, such as time to market, and duration of particular process stages, as well as outcomes from product development such as the number of products commercialized per year and percentage of sales due to new products
A metric is a measure Webster defines measure as "The act or process of determining extent, dimensions, etc ; especially as determined by a standard " The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), which is a standards setting body, define measure as "A quantitative assessment of the degree to which a software product or process possesses a given attribute "
are measurements taken over time that monitor, assess, and communicate vital information about the results of a program or activity Metrics are generally quantitative, but can be qualitative
pre-defined measures of performance calculable by comparison of system output with human-generated answer keys
Numbers used as a measurement for standard of quality for comparing different items or time periods Visits, Unique Hosts, Goals, and Value are all fields that might be used as a metric