How big is Hibis?

Hibis vs the Space Shuttle

We have been developing the Hibis software for 25 years. During that time, Hibis has grown in scope and functionality, as well as in complexity. At workshops, we present to clients all that it makes possible and what its functionalities are.But how to explain how big Hibis really is?

The LOC(Lines Of Code) criterion is often used to assess the size and complexity of software solutions. It tells us how many programming lines a software solution has. Hibis consists of about 3 million lines of software code, taking into account the PL/SQL code found in the database (packages, triggers, views). In addition, quite a few software codes are also found in masks.

Let’s remember that the Space Shuttle consists of 2.5 million components. We can say that the spacecraft is probably the most recognisable and the most complex craft built to date.

If a single line of the Hibis software is considered as one component and if that is compared to the number of components in the Space Shuttle, we will find that the numbers are roughly the same. Just like each of even the smallest components is important for a spacecraft, every line of software code is important as well. Only properly written and properly verified software code can work in a quality manner and without errors. Like a spacecraft, the software code needs improvements, upgrades and novelties to meet new requirements.

A second comparison: a computer screen

For a comparison more suited to everyday life, we can imagine a computer screen. In our daily work, we use screens that have an average resolution of 1980*1080, which totals 2,073,600 pixels. Roughly, we may say that the number of pixels in the screen is equivalent to the number of lines in the Hibis software code (you might need a screen with a slightly higher resolution). How important each pixel – or, in our case, each line of the software code – is can be seen clearly if a pixel in the screen goes bad.

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