Jest

(Brian Jaress's Software Estimator)

Jest is a software project estimator. You use it to predict how much time and how many people it will take to create a piece of software.

Jest is designed to be a free, simple, *nix-style alternative to complicated proprietary estimators.

• download it
• install it
• use it

Notable Features

• Gives you a decent estimate from a small amount of input
• Gives you a better estimate with more detailed input
• Runs from the command line
• Easy to use (if you're comfortable with the command line)
• Free Software

How It Works

Jest uses the COCOMO II formulas developed at the University of Southern California. USC provides proprietary implementations in Java and over the web. There are also other proprietary programs that use these formulas.

Jest gives you a streamlined, text-based interface to the COCOMO II formulas. You can type in a single number and get your answer. That's enough for a decent estimate because the estimation formula is based on a simple but non-obvious relationship. A simplified, one-input estimate is already much better than an intuitive guess.

For all the details on the inner workings of jest, take a look at the source code.

hosted on gna.org

Brian Jaress 2007-12-27