Review of book: Function Point Analysis: Measurement Practices for Successful Software Projects

Authors: David Garmus and David Herron

Publisher: Addison-Wesley (2001)

ISBN: 978-0201699449

Paperback: 363 pages

Rating: 7/10

Contents

This book is actually nothing less and nothing more than IFPUG Function Point Analysis (FPA) guide. It starts from the chapter entitled "Software Measurement" which gives an overview of the purpose of size measurement in software projects. From this point the book is the mirror of the IFPUG FPA Counting Manual 4.1 (CPM). You will find here detailed instructions how to count data and transactional functions and other elements of FPA. 

Pros

The book provides really in-depth information regarding counting FPA - far more detailed than many other books covering effort estimation and size measurement - in general. What you actually get is a paper version of IFPUG CPM with a foreword and some general guidelines regarding measurement. This is valuable if you are not a member of IFPUG - and you don't want to be. 

Cons

The main strength is also the main weakness of this book. I'm pretty sure you will not read this book late at night to your pillow. I think it was not intended to be read as whole, e.g., much of the information is repeated from chapter to chapter. (The volume of the book could be reduced for sure.)  It is more like reference guide - a good one. The main problem is that it describe IFPUG FPA in version 4.1 (current is 4.3.1). However, the rules are not changing much, they are becoming more precise (at least this is the IFPUG's assumption).

Summary

This book is valuable for anyone who is seriously interested in counting IFPUG FPA. (Probably, one of the best books available for such people.) However, if you are interested only in getting an overview of the method, I would recommend you reading other books which present the method in more "light-weight" way.