COSMIC-talk: This is a sequence of 7 Tweetoriels to be delivered in the twittersphere of Telmaco over the period from January to March, 2012. Sequences will cover the main topics relating to the modern methods used for estimating software projects.

This Tweetoriel experience was also an exercise illustrating and determining the most effective use of current internet media. My approach involved the publication of Tweets identified by the ‘hashtag ‘#cosmictalk’ . This technique enabled other participants to contribute by means of one or several Tweets identified by the same hashtag. Hence, the forum. The short length of tweets enables a large number of participants to express their viewpoint without anybody’s monopolizing the textual space. Each participant may then formulate his or her personal views in agreement or disagreement with the proposed Tweet. This procedure established a wide range of discussion facilitating a useful exchange of views.

Telmaco starts from the standpoint that such a discussion is more beneficial for the participants than offering a download of the traditional pre-formatted document with a view to occasional reading.

The proposed Tweetoriels are the following:
A: How to measure the software?
B: Measuring by the COSMIC method
C: Project measurement
D: Project Benchmarking
E: Project Estimation
F: COSMIC and Agile
G: Introduction to MeterIT-Cosmic

These Tweetoriels, having an educational purpose, form a logical and progressive suite describing a modern approach to estimation of software projects. This approach is compatible with well known recommendations of the software industry, such as CMMi, SPICE, etc. Also, this approach concerns more the methods than the support tools, even though the larger the project, the more specialised software measurement tools are necessary.

Finally, COSMIC-talk now marks a pause and will restart in January 2012.

How to get in?
Follow http://twitter.com/Telmaco
Search the hashtag #cosmictalk
Then, tweet at will.

One of the difficulties we have often seen in measuring the software size is how to capture the functionality of the software application to be measured. This is so for any of the ISO methods, be it IFPUG, Mk II FPA, or COSMIC. We want to measure the functionality, which is logical, but unfortunately most of the initial data are physical: table, menu, etc. We have a list of the parts to be incorporated in the product and insufficient information about the functionality, hence, the counted size may be erroneous. Is there an approach that works?

The FDcase offered in download shows you the example of a piece of software to be COSMIC measured. It starts with a physical description. Then, it explains the retrieval of the logical view, hence the functionality. Download the FDcase paper and send us your comments. FDcase-01-V1a.pdf (200KB)

Next time you might confidently go directly to the logical view.

Dear IAC and MPC Members and guests who attended the London meeting.
COSMIC held its annual meeting, starting last week just before the UKSMA/COSMIC Conference in London, and continuing this week in Nara, Japan, prior to the International Workshop on Software Metrics.

Please find attached the combined minutes for the two parts of the meeting. COSMIC IAC meeting 2011 Minutes.pdf (660KB)

These were very fruitful meetings, resulting in a lot of suggested actions for those who were present – so I am expecting a huge amount of activity as follow-up!!!

Dear All,
I am very pleased to announce that Kenneth Lind has accepted to join the International Advisory Council as our first Swedish representative on the IAC.

Kenneth has done some important pioneering work at Saab in studying the correlation between COSMIC sizes and the memory requirements of automotive Electronic Control Units. Some of his papers are available on ‘cosmicon’.

Dear IAC & MPC Members,
Alain Abran and I are pleased to announce the appointment of two new IAC members.

Maxim Rusakov will become the first IAC member for Russia Jaroslaw Swierczek will become the second IAC member for Poland (with Beata Czarnacka-Chrobot)

Both Maxim and Jaroslaw are working on translations of COSMIC documentation into their respective languages.

The main improved features are:
- DMSD - Data Movement Sequence Diagram: you can visualise the Functional Process
- Multilingual (French, English): you can use it in your own language
- Measurement Diagnostic: you can detect at any time where the measurement is not conformant whithout slowing down your measurement.
For the other features, they are easier to use than before: enter the specification or description of your application and you get the size automatically, ready to be reported on Microsoft compatible document.

MeterIT-Cosmic licence holder can freely update their current version, and
new comer to MeterIT-Cosmic can benefit from a FREE 30 day evaluation period

Let's go MeterIT-Cosmic

The purpose of this case study is to:
• illustrate the application of the COSMIC method of sizing the functional requirements of software
• size the embedded software that controls the speedometer of a vehicle
• follow the measurement process as defined in the Automotive SPICE process MAN 6 and that of the COSMIC method.”

I want to register for downloading my FREE copy of this Automotive COSMIC Analysis

Dear All, it is important for COSMIC’s continued success that we can grow and refine our benchmark data. The 2011 ISBSG/COSMIC initiative to get more project data set mid-September as the target date to complete the data submission. We are offering valuable incentives (free reports, etc) to organizations that submit data for multiple projects. The ISBSG has already received some new data but we hope to get a lot more (thanks to any of you that have already submitted data).

The invitation letter and the COSMIC Concise Data Collection Questionnaire are available via the link below.

Please pass this message to your clients, contacts and students and encourage them to join this initiative and to submit more project data over the next four weeks (by, say, Monday 19th September).

Many thanks in advance for your help

Charles Symons