Demography of Open Source Software Prediction Models and Techniques

Abstract

Open source software (OSS) is currently a widely adopted approach to developing and distributing software. Many commercial companies are using OSS components as part of their product development. For instance, more than 58% of web servers are using an OSS web server, Apache. For effective adoption of OSS, fundamental knowledge of project development is needed. This often calls for reliable prediction models to simulate project evolution and to envision project future. These models provide help in supporting preventive maintenance and building quality software. This chapter reports on a systematic literature survey aimed at the identification and structuring of research that offers prediction models and techniques in analysing OSS projects. The study outcome provides insight into what constitutes the main contributions of the field, identifies gaps and opportunities, and distils several important future research directions. This chapter extends the authors' earlier journal article and offers the following improvements: broader study period, enhanced discussion, and synthesis of reported results.