Quick Reference Guides

Essential reference materials, cheat sheets, and quick lookup guides for software estimation techniques and best practices.

Quick Reference Cards

Estimation Methods

Best Practices

Industry Data

Quick Lookup Tables

COCOMO Constants

Model a b c d
Organic 3.2 1.05 2.5 0.38
Semi-detached 3.0 1.12 2.5 0.35
Embedded 2.8 1.20 2.5 0.32

Function Point Weights

Component Simple Average Complex
External Input (EI) 3 4 6
External Output (EO) 4 5 7
External Inquiry (EQ) 3 4 6
Internal Logical File (ILF) 7 10 15
External Interface File (EIF) 5 7 10

Programming Language Productivity

Language LOC per Day LOC per Function Point
Assembly 25-50 320
C 75-150 128
C++ 100-200 64
Java 150-300 53
C# 150-300 53
Python 200-400 32
JavaScript 200-400 47
Go 175-350 42

Conversion Tables

Time Units

  • 1 person-month = 160-180 hours (depending on organization)
  • 1 person-year = 1,800-2,000 hours (accounting for holidays, training)
  • 1 sprint (2 weeks) = 80 hours per person
  • 1 iteration (4 weeks) = 160 hours per person

Effort Distribution (Typical)

  • Requirements: 10-15%
  • Design: 15-20%
  • Implementation: 40-50%
  • Testing: 20-25%
  • Deployment: 5-10%

Decision Trees

Estimation Method Selection 

Is this a new development project?
├─ Yes → Do you have clear functional requirements?
│  ├─ Yes → Use Function Points or Use Case Points
│  └─ No → Use Analogy-based or Expert Judgment
└─ No → Is this similar to past projects?
   ├─ Yes → Use Analogy-based estimation
   └─ No → Use bottom-up estimation with high contingency

Risk Assessment 

Project Size (Function Points)
├─ < 100 FP → Low complexity baseline
├─ 100-500 FP → Medium complexity
├─ 500-1000 FP → High complexity
└─ > 1000 FP → Very high complexity, consider breaking down

Templates & Forms

Quick Estimation Form

Project: ______
**Estimator**: ______
Date: ______

Size Metrics:

  • Function Points: ____
  • Use Case Points: ____
  • Lines of Code: ____

Effort Estimates:

  • Optimistic: ____ hours
  • Most Likely: ____ hours
  • Pessimistic: ____ hours
  • Expected (PERT): ____ hours

Risk Factors (Rate 1-5):

  • Requirements clarity: __
  • Technology familiarity: __
  • Team experience: __
  • Schedule pressure: __
  • Integration complexity: __

Contingency: __% (Recommended: 15-40%)
**Final Estimate**: ____ hours

Formulas & Calculations

Three-Point Estimation (PERT) 

Expected Time = (Optimistic + 4 × Most Likely + Pessimistic) ÷ 6
Standard Deviation = (Pessimistic - Optimistic) ÷ 6
Variance = (Standard Deviation)²

COCOMO Basic Model 

Effort = a × (KLOC)^b person-months
Development Time = c × (Effort)^d months
People = Effort ÷ Development Time

Function Points Calculation 

UFP = (EI × 3-6) + (EO × 4-7) + (EQ × 3-6) + (ILF × 7-15) + (EIF × 5-10)
VAF = 0.65 + (0.01 × TDI)
AFP = UFP × VAF

Contact & Support

For questions about these references or suggestions for additional content:

  • Course materials: Available during training session
  • Online resources: Updated regularly on this site
  • Community: Join discussions in course forums

These references are designed for quick lookup during estimation activities. For detailed explanations, refer to the full course modules and exercises.

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