Definition
Kilo Lines of Code (KLOC) is a metric that measures the size of a software program by counting the number of lines of code in thousands (1 KLOC = 1,000 lines of code). It estimates a software project’s effort, complexity, and maintainability.
What to Consider About the KLOC Metric
- Measurement variability: The way lines of code are counted can vary. For example, do whitespace and comment lines count? Moreover, different tools and standards might produce different KLOC counts for the same code.
- Quality vs. quantity: Although KLOC will give you a rough estimate of the size of the project, it doesn’t reflect the quality of the code. A concise, well-crafted codebase can outperform a larger, poorly-written one.
- Management and estimation: While KLOC provides project estimation, relying on it can be misleading. More lines of code don’t automatically translate to better functionality or improved software.
- Modern metrics: Most modern software development approaches prioritize functional deliverables over raw lines of code.