Metrics Visualization Technique Based on the Origins and Function Layers for OSS-Based Development

Software developments involving multiple organizations such as OSS (Open Source Software)-based projects tend to have numerous defects when one organization develops and another organization edits the program source code files. Developments with complex file creation, modification history (origin), and software architecture (functional layer) are increasing in OSS-based development. As an example, here we focus on an Android smart phone development project and propose new visualization techniques for product metrics based on the file origin and functional layers. One is the Metrics Area Figure, which can express duplication of edits by multiple organizations intuitively using overlapping figures. The other is Origin City, which was inspired by Code City. It can represent the scale and other measurements, while simultaneously stacking functional layers as 3D buildings.