Function Point Estimation

Function Point Estimation

Estiamtion: The dictionary meaning of Estimation - an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth; "an estimate of what it would cost"; "a rough idea how long it would take"

The main question is in our mind is, what is the meaning of estimation in terms of Software Industries.

The estimation in the terms of Software Industries is the expectations about the time required to complete the software/ client tasks or application.

Fundamentals of Function Points:

It is a technique to measure software size based upon the user requirements. Or we can say It is a method to break systems into smaller components, so they can be better understood and analyzed.

History of Function points

It was developed first by Allan J. Albrecht in the mid 1970s. It was an attempt to overcome difficulties associated with lines of code as a measure of software size, and to assist in developing a mechanism to predict effort associated with software development. The method was first published in 1979, then later in 1983.

In 1984 Albrecht refined the method and since 1986, when the International Function Point User Group (IFPUG) was set up, several versions of the Function Point Counting Practices

Manual have been published by IFPUG.

http://www.ifpug.org/

Challenges to estimate the software:

What’s we are looking into the picture: The upper tip of tree is not a challenge; the challenge is to think other side to imagine the deeper of roots in the soil. J

Flow of FP Estimation

EI(Exteral Inputs):

It is elementary process in which data travels from outside to inside boundary. This input data may comes from an input screen or any another application. This data may be used to maintain/update one or more ILF.

For every add/ update and delete count as one EI

Note: every Input screen is not an EI. The EI who maintain/update the ILF should be counted as EI. Query Screen, login Sc, Menu report screen cannot be counted as EI.

EO(External Output):

It is an elementary process in which derived data passes across the boundary from inside to outside. Additionally, an EO may update an ILF. The data creates reports or output files sent to other applications. These reports and files are created from one or more internal logical files and external interface file.

It also means to manipulate the data and presents to the user(derived and caluculate the information).

Eg

Balance sheet Report

Customer monthly sheet

Graphic chart.

Notes: If the same EO data is produced to the two different media output then it is count as two EO.

If report is genearated by a report generator then it is one EO.

One EI should be counted for each report command like search, sort, merge etc.

EQ(External Query):

It is an unique request for retrieving the data. The input process does not update any Internal Logical Files, and the output side does not contain derived data.

Notes: It retrieves simple information while EO retrieve complex information.

E.g. Country dropdown box is EQ.

Simple reports displayed from a single table without data manipulation.

Selection of data retrieval based on input.

EIF(External Interface Files):

It’s a user identifiable group of logically related data that is used for reference purposes only. The data resides entirely outside the application and is maintained by another application. The external interface file is an internal logical file for another application.

Data stored outside the application boundary is considered as EIF

ILF(Internal Logical Files):

It’s a user identifiable group of logically related data that resides entirely within the applications boundary and is maintained through external inputs.

Data stored inside the aaplication is considered as ILF

Belwo is the tip to identify ILF:

Stored internal to the application.

Maintained through a standardized process of application

User Identified

NOTE: Temps file are not counted as ILF’s.(Should not map ILF as data base file)

Benefits:

Function Points can be used to size software applications accurately. Sizing is an important component in determining productivity (outputs/inputs).

Function Points are easily understood by the non technical user. This helps communicate sizing information to a user or customer.

Function Points can be used to determine whether a tool, a language, an environment, is more productive when compared with others.

When Not to Use Function Points

While function points have many uses, Function points is not very good measure when sizing maintenance efforts (fixing problems) or when trying to understand performance issues. Much of the effort associated with fixing problems (production fixes) is due to trying to resolve and understand the problem (detective work).

Another inherent problem with measuring maintenance work is that much of maintenance programming is done by one or two individuals. Individual skill sets become a major factor when measuring this type of work.

SHARE POINT DESIGNER 2010

Microsoft SharePoint Designer 2010
SharePoint Designer 2010 is the tool of choice for the rapid development of SharePoint applications. Using SharePoint Designer 2010, advanced users and developers alike can rapidly create SharePoint solutions in response to business needs. Advanced users can compose no-code solutions that encompass a variety of common scenarios, from collaborative sites and web publishing to Line-Of-Business data integration, business intelligence solutions, and human workflows, leveraging the building blocks available in SharePoint in an easy to use environment. In addition, developers can use SharePoint Designer 2010 to get a quick start on SharePoint development projects.
Rapidly develop SharePoint solutions without code
Build composite SharePoint applications by configuring or designing components such as lists, data sources, content types, views, forms, workflows, and external content types, all without having to write any code. With SharePoint Designer 2010, advanced users and developers can respond more rapidly to business needs with its redesigned user interface, easy connectivity to external systems, improved views and forms, and enhanced workflow design capabilities.
Revamped user interface
Allow rich and advanced customizations using the revamped user interface in SharePoint Designer 2010. Create no-code solutions more rapidly with the List and Content Type editors, association columns, reusable workflows, impersonation steps, XSLT templates, and external content types, among other new capabilities. And improve your productivity with the highly acclaimed Fluent UI (“Ribbon”) interface.
The user interface features the Ribbon and improved navigation
Enhanced Workflow Designer
Using SharePoint Designer 2010, you can design workflows to facilitate a wide range of business processes. Reuse workflows across a list or library, or export them to a different site collection. Even better, associate them to a content types to facilitate their use across related lists or libraries. You can also use sub-steps, impersonation steps or perform actions against external data for more sophisticated workflows. In addition, customize the Approval, Collect Feedback, and Collect Signatures workflows using SharePoint Designer 2010, or create sophisticated tasks with custom behaviors and completion conditions. Leverage the important events of these workflows in the Workflow Editor, both across each task or across the process itself
Complex tasks are easy to create within workflows
Custom actions
Using SharePoint Designer, you can define custom actions for any list or add them as buttons to the Ribbon, making it possible to deliver contextual user experiences that simplify the work for your users.
Interoperability with Visual Studio 2010
If you are a professional developer, consider SharePoint Designer your friendly companion tool. You can now enhance a number of SharePoint artifacts in Visual Studio 2010. You can use SharePoint Designer 2010 to build your workflow prototypes, list designs or Business Connectivity Services configurations and bring them into Visual Studio. You can collaborate with others by designing your workflow activities in Visual Studio and allowing others to build workflows in SharePoint Designer.
Import/export Visio process diagrams
Leverage the most popular diagramming tool in the world, Visio, directly on SharePoint Designer 2010. Import your colleagues’ Visio process diagrams into SharePoint Designer to get a head start creating workflows, and then export it back to Visio to collaborate.
Easily connect with external data
Using SharePoint Designer 2010, external data can easily be integrated in any SharePoint solution. Easily discover the data sources available, create External Content Types that define the data operations that you want to enable in SharePoint (create, read, update, and delete), and have SharePoint Designer auto-generate a SharePoint external list and all of the required forms, without writing a single line of code.
Business Connectivity Services
Through Business Connectivity Services, or BCS, SharePoint Designer 2010 allows you to extend the reach of your enterprise data to everybody in the organization. You can connect to data in external databases, Line-Of-Business applications, or custom data stores with BCS. Create External Content Types that describe the external data, and enable users to search, read and write to these external lists as easily as if they were SharePoint lists. Users can also interact with this data even when offline by using SharePoint Workspace, Office, or Word, and offline changes are automatically synchronized when users reconnect.
Support read and edit operations in an External Content Type
Deploy with confidence with safe customizations
With SharePoint Designer 2010, IT professionals can easily control where and how people use SharePoint Designer at all levels of their deployment, from server to site collection, and are able to preserve a consistent brand and layout across a site collection or web application by controlling the customization of pages, master pages, and page layouts.
SharePoint Designer customization controls
Using SharePoint Designer 2010, you can decide how much control you want to give to your users. You can restrict the customization levels both at the server or site collection or web application level. You can prevent users from customizing pages, master pages, or page layouts to keep a consistent look and feel across your site.
Administrators can control SharePoint Designer capabilities
For More Information
Learn more about SharePoint Designer 2010 and Microsoft SharePoint 2010 at http://www.microsoft.com/sharepoint.
This document is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
The example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred.