Skip to content
ENExplore Calculators

Lines Of Code Estimate Calculator

Work out lines of code estimate instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Lines Of Code Estimate Calculator

Backfiring converts function points to lines of code using published language gearing factors, which vary by more than an order of magnitude: about 320 lines per function point in assembly versus 24 in Python. That spread is the quantified case for higher-level languages, since effort models driven by SLOC then produce proportionally smaller estimates.

Formula

Backfiring

SLOC = function points x language gearing factor; physical lines = SLOC / (1 - comment and blank share)

Worked example

With the default values below, Lines Of Code Estimate Calculator returns Effective source lines of code of 23,850. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Function pointsminimum 1
450
Implementation languageone of Assembly (~320 SLOC/FP), C (~97 SLOC/FP), Java (~53 SLOC/FP), Python (~24 SLOC/FP), SQL (~13 SLOC/FP)
Java (~53 SLOC/FP)
Comments and blank linesaccepts 0–100 %
25 %

Results

Effective source lines of code
23,850
Total physical lines including comments
31,800
SLOC per function point
53
Comment and blank lines
7,950

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Backfiring
  3. 3Effective source lines of code= 23,850
  4. 4Total physical lines including comments= 31,800
  5. 5SLOC per function point= 53
  6. 6Comment and blank lines= 7,950

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to whole numbers, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable are gearing factors?

They are averages with wide variance, useful for early estimates and cross-language comparison but not for contractual commitments.

Should generated code be counted?

No. Counting generated or vendored code inflates size without reflecting effort, and it distorts every derived metric including defect density.

Related Calculators

Lines Of Code Estimate Calculator | Calcrivo