Theil index for aggregation of software metrics values

Abstract

We propose a new approach to aggregating software metrics from the micro-level of individual artifacts (e.g., methods, classes and packages) to the macro-level of the entire software system. The approach, Theil index, is a well-known econometric measure of inequality. The Theil index allows to study the impact of different categorizations of the artifacts, e.g., based on the development technology or developers' teams, on the inequality of the metrics values measured. We apply the Theil index in a series of experiments. We have observed that the Theil index and the related notions provide valuable insights in organization and evolution of software systems, as well as in sources of inequality.