From Withrow (1990), on ADA: Module LoC | Error Rate per 1k LoC 63 | 1.5 100 | 1.4 158 | 0.9 251 | 0.5 398

From Withrow (1990), on ADA: Module LoC | Error Rate per 1k LoC 63 | 1.5 100 | 1.4 158 | 0.9 251 | 0.5 398 | 1.1 630 | 1.9 1000 | 1.3 >1000 | 1.4 This appears to show no such linear relationship between error rate and LoC within a single language, with a fixed amount of program text. This report appears to suggest an observed average error rate of 18 defects per 1000 lines of code: http://www.lanl.gov/projects/CartaBlanca/webdocs/PhippsPaperOnJavaEfficiency.pdf http://www.lanl.gov/projects/CartaBlanca/webdocs/PhippsPaper... and the same programmer generated an average of 6 defects per 1000 lines of code in Java. This is just a random sampling of error rates I could find quickly with a google search and a paper I already had on my desk, however the fact that three samples from three projects (two of which were from the same programmer) suggests that there is likely to be variation both in terms of the (fixed) amount of program text, and the problem between languages.