A NONLINEAR REGRESSION MODEL FOR EARLY LOC ESTIMATION OF OPEN-SOURCE KOTLIN-BASED APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Context. The early lines of code (LOC) estimation in software projects holds significant importance, as it directly influences the prediction of development effort, covering a spectrum of different programming languages, and open-source Kotlin-based applications in particular. The object of the study is the process of early LOC estimation of open-source Kotlin-based apps. The subject of the study is the nonlinear regression models for early LOC estimation of open-source Kotlin-based apps. Objective. The goal of the work is to build the nonlinear regression model with three predictors for early LOC estimation of open-source Kotlin-based apps based on the Box-Cox four-variate normalizing transformation to increase the confidence in early LOC estimation of these apps. Method. For early LOC estimation in open-source Kotlin-based apps, the model, confidence, and prediction intervals of nonlinear regression were constructed using the Box-Cox four-variate normalizing transformation and specialized techniques. These techniques, relying on multiple nonlinear regression analyses incorporating multivariate normalizing transformations, account for the dependencies between variables in non-Gaussian data scenarios. As a result, this method tends to reduce the mean magnitude of relative error (MMRE) and narrow confidence and prediction intervals compared to models utilizing univariate normalizing transformations. Results. An analysis has been carried out to compare the constructed model with nonlinear regression models employing decimal logarithm and Box-Cox univariate transformation. Conclusions. The nonlinear regression model with three predictors for early LOC estimation of open-source Kotlin-based apps is constructed using the Box-Cox four-variate transformation. Compared to the other nonlinear regression models, this model demonstrates a larger multiple coefficient of determination, a smaller value of the MMRE, and narrower confidence and prediction intervals. The prospects for further research may include the application of other data sets to construct the nonlinear regression model for early LOC estimation of open-source Kotlin-based apps for other restrictions on predictors.