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     | M |
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MAINTAINABILITY TESTING

Testing whether the system meets its specified
objectives for maintainability.(BCS)


MASKING

A number of temporary masking techniques have been
developed that are less expensive and somewhat quicker
than true date field expansions.  These masking methods
are not perfect and may not be suited for every
application.  Some forms of masking may slow down the
performance of applications.  Also, there might be
subtle or indirect dates which are not intercepted by
the more common masking strategies.

In general, the masking approaches are temporary
solutions which simply push the year 2000 problem out
into the next century in the hope that many
applications will be replaced before the masking
solutions stop working.  Since there are a number of
alternative substitution and masking strategies, it is
interesting to consider their pros and cons.

Masking in every form has the advantage of not
requiring any potentially hazardous changes to the
aging legacy applications or to data bases.  The down
sides of the masking approach are:

* It is not certain if deep, indirect, or subtle year
2000 problems will be intercepted.

* The performance impact of the masking methods and
tools will degrade throughput by a finite and possibly
significant amount.

The technology of masking is still in rapid evolution,
and holds some potential advantages.  Masking may
perhaps be effective for at least some applications
written in proprietary or obscure programming languages
where there are no effective year 2000 search engines
nor any trained programmers available.

All of the masking approaches should be viewed as
temporary methods, since they do not cure the
underlying problem of using only two digits for dates.
However, if applications are gradually phased out over
the next 10 to 15 year period and replaced by compliant
applications, then masking may be an acceptable
solution for software that does not have stringent
performance needs.
(CJ)

MEASURE

(v): To assess by comparing to a standard (e.g. actual
time spent vs. budget).

(n): A standard, or unit of measurement (e.g. person
hours)

MEASUREMENT

(v): The act of measuring.

(n): The result of measuring.

METRIC

A calculated or composite indicator based on two or
more measures.  A quantitative measure of the degree to
which a system, component or process possesses a given
attribute.  (e.g.  Mean Time To Failure, Function
Point, Person Hours per Function Point)


MILLENARIAN

adjective

1. Of or relating to a thousand, especially to a
thousand years.

2. Of, relating to, or believing in the doctrine of the
millennium.

noun

One who believes the millennium will occur.
(AH)

MILLENNIUM

noun
plural millenniums or millennia

1. A span of one thousand years.

2. A thousand-year period of holiness mentioned in
Revelation 20, during which Jesus and his faithful
followers are to rule on earth.

3. A hoped-for period of joy, serenity, prosperity, and
justice.

4. A thousandth anniversary.

[New Latin : Latin mille, thousand + Latin annus, year.]

(AH)

MODIFIED CONDITION/DECISION COVERAGE

The percentage of all branch condition outcomes that
independently affect a decision outcome that have been
exercised by a test case suite.(BCS)

MODIFIED CONDITION/DECISION TESTING

A test case design technique in which test cases are
designed to execute branch condition outcomes that
independently affect a decision outcome.(BCS)

MULTIPLE CONDITION COVERAGE

See branch condition combination coverage.

MUTATION ANALYSIS

A method to determine test case suite thoroughness by
measuring the extent to which a test case suite can
discriminate the program from slight variants (mutants)
of the program.  See also error seeding.(BCS)