Evolution of code lines

I thought it could be fun to look at some code metrics from the first BlogEngine.NET release and compare it to the second and now the third which is just about to be released. You know, just to see the evolution in terms of code lines. I used the Line Counter plug-in for Visual Studio and only measured the class library. The web project makes no real sense to measure since Line Counter can’t count the lines of HTML, CSS and Javascript.

Version 1.0

Version 1.1

Version 1.2

As expected, the first two releases were about the same size. The second release did have some extra features, but was merely a service release and that shows. Now, the 1.2 release has a lot more features than 1.1 but it is almost half the size in terms of code lines. Most of it is because we did some heavy duty cleaning – especially in the RSS and ATOM syndication code.

It also shows that it is possible to simplify and optimize a project going on its third release while still adding new features. All it takes is the will to do it instead of just writing new interesting features. That’s the good thing about open source projects – we set our own deadlines and there is no boss breathing down your neck to make sure we meet them on time.