» Glossary » Volatility

Volatility is a measure of how often a file actually changes—never mind the extent or reason for the change. Using this definition, we theorize that volatility directly correlates to the risk of making a change: the more volatile a file is, the more likely it is that changes to that file will result in a code defect.

Related:

• PragProg magazine
• Michael Feathers on Closure of code
• Code should grow by addition rather than mutation