MHCP Model for Quality Evaluation for Software Structure Based on Software Complex Network

Accidents caused by defective software systems have long been a nightmare. Though engineers utilize advanced techniques and rigorous quality control procedures, we still have to admit that the increasing complexity and expanding scale of software systems make it extremely difficult to guarantee high quality deliverables. Since large-scale software systems exhibit the characteristics of complex networks, applying the principles of complex networks to evaluate the quality of software systems has attracted attention from both academia and industry. Unfortunately, most current research studies focus only on one or a limited number of attributes of software structures which makes them ineffective in providing comprehensive and insightful quality evaluation for software structures. To overcome this problem, we propose an approach based on various software structural characteristics to evaluate software structures from modularity, hierarchy, complexity, and fault propagation points of view. A model based on these four aspects is proposed to better understand software structural quality. A prediction model is also proposed to provide insights on the nature of software evolution and its current status. Experiments using two software projects were performed against the thresholds obtained by evaluating more than 5,000 versions of open source projects. Our results suggest that the approach described in this paper can help us analyze real-world software projects for better quality evaluation.