The history of software metrics is almost as old as the history of software engineering. Yet, the extensive research and literature on the subject has had little impact on industrial practice. This is worrying given that the major rationale for using metrics is to improve the software engineering decision making process from a managerial and technical perspective.

There is a dichotomy between the development and testing of software, signified by the abundance of software development models and the dearth of test development models. Software testing's ephemeral nature aggravates the issue, as does the software developer's view of testing - represented only by a deadline, not a process.

This paper presents a new model for software test development. The butterfly model is then correlated with the ubiquitous V development model to establish context.

Measuring the progress of a software project requires a metric of the value the project creates. Progress implies a plan against which to measure. The concept of earned value provides a clear metric of project progress relative to a plan. For this purpose, the usual cost metrics for earned value are less interesting in a software project than other measures of value. In particular, function points provide a measure of value that earned value metrics can easily use to compare what you've created to what you plan to create.

This paper outlines how Efficient Defect Analyzer has been successfully applied, potential pitfalls, and some possible future directions.