Defect detection, design comprehension, and improved productivity with software gauges

The cost of software development and maintenance is expensive. Therefore, management pushes to cut cost up front by building the product as rapidly as possible. Defect prevention and removal strategies add cost during the development phase but return the investment during the maintenance phase. Rapid development without concern for defect prevention and removal is simply confusing speed with progress. Too much focus on defect free software without concern for the schedule is unrealistic. Therefore, a balanced approach to the development of reliable software is the goal. This thesis considers an approach to defect prevention and removal through the use of software gauges. These gauges offer visibility into software design, automation of lessons learned and improved productivity.