CodeCount Tool Suite

Mr. Kalb is responsible for the creation of a suite of automated Source Lines of Code (SLOC) counting tools, CodeCount. The set of 14 SLOC counting tools were originally developed in the early 1980's to aid in the accurate collection of software sizing metrics. At that time, there were no commercially available tools to perform this function, many home-grown and incompatible tools were prevalent, and the accuracy of software sizing often rested on the 'best guess' of the software engineer. The CodeCount tool suite automates the collection of sizing information for existing software assets through the use of a consistently applied definition for a SLOC. Incorporation of a standard SLOC definition enables apples-to-apples comparisons of software sizing, productivity, defect density, etc. measurements across multiple programming languages and across multiple software development projects.

The CodeCount tools (pictured right) were briefly sold as a commercial software product in the early 1990's in response to the DARPA-sponsored Technology Reinvestment Program and Dual Use initiatives to transition technologies and products developed in the Defense industry to the commercial marketplace. The shrink-wrap product contains a Software User's Manual and a TK-50 Magnetic Tape Cartridge.

October 1998, the CodeCount tool suite was formerly transferred to the University of Southern California (USC) Center for Software Engineering (CSE) for public domain distribution in a similar fashion as the popular software parametric cost model, COCOMO. Pictured (left-to-right) are Dr. Barry W. Boehm (Director, USC, CSE), Mr. George E. Kalb (CodeCount developer), Mr. Donald J. Reifer (Reifer Consultants, Inc.) and Mr. Winsor Brown (Structured Software and Business Processes).

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