Software metrics definition, validation, verification, and improvement are classical and well-established topics of software engineering. However, recent advances in the theory of complex networks, and its application to technological networks, such as the web and large computer systems, are opening new grounds also regarding software metrics. Moreover, the fast changes in programming technology–web applications, new programming paradigms, and frameworks to support them–are demanding innovative ways to measure quality and efficiency.

The main focus of this special issue will be on the latest research in defining, validating, and verifying software metrics, with particular emphasis on synthetic (indirect) metrics able to characterize systems with a small number of direct measurements, and on new metrics derived from the latest advances in programming languages, frameworks, and architecture. Topics of interest include:

• Software systems as complex networks and relative metrics
• Complex network theory and its application to software structure and growth
• Synthetic measures to assess software quality
• Dynamic tracking of software projects
• Metrics for agile products, processes, and teams
• Metrics for open source products
• Metrics for open source processes
• Software architecture metrics
• Metrics for service oriented architectures and software as a service
• Measuring documentation, websites, and other information related to projects
• Measurement-based estimation and decision making
• Quality of service and service level agreement management
• Remote analysis and measurement