Code quality for software architects

In the latest installment of In pursuit of code quality, Andrew Glover discusses the quality aspects that affect the long-term viability of a software architecture. Various coupling metrics that help the architect to analyze and support the software architecture in the long run are discussed. Coupling metrics represent the higher aspects of code such as code dependencies, stability and abstractness. The coupling metrics discussed in this article are:

• Afferent Coupling: An integer metric which represents the number of components that are dependent on this object. In other words, it denotes the object's responsibility. Generally, core frameworks (struts), logging packages etc. can have high afferent coupling. It is good to know afferent coupling because changing packages such has struts etc. drastically can cause ripple effects throughout its dependent packages.
• Abstractness: Is the ratio of abstract to concrete classes. It is always easier to change components with higher abstractness without causing too much ripple effect. If the abstractness of a component is low and the afferent coupling high, there is a chance of software entropy (too many interdependencies).
• Efferent Coupling: The number of components that a particular component depends on (inverse of afferent coupling). High efferent coupling, combined with high afferent coupling and low abstractness will pose a huge challenge for the long term viability of a software architecture.
• Instability: It is the ratio of the efferent coupling to the sum of afferent and efferent coupling (Ce /(Ca + Ce)). If this ratio is closer to 0 for a component, the component may be considered stable, since, the more a component is relied on, the less likely it is to change. On the other hand, if the ratio is closer to 1 (afferent coupling = 0) then, any dependency change will affect this component and hence it is more unstable.
• Distance from the main: If you plot Abstractness along the Y-axis and Instability along the X-axis, then the main sequence is a line on the cartesian coordinates X=0 and Y=1 to X=1 and Y=0 (neither of them can be greater than 1). The distance from this main sequence represents the level of balance in the system. This can help you understand how a specific change may affect the maintainability of your architecture.

Afferent and efferent coupling, instability, abstractness, and distance from the main sequence are all reported by code analysis tools, including JDepend, JarAnalyzer, and the Metrics plug-in for Eclipse.