Final answer:
Halstead metrics are a set of software complexity measures that quantify a program's lexical complexity. They analyze the program's source code based on factors such as the number of operators and operands.
Step-by-step explanation:
Halstead metrics are a set of software complexity measures developed by Maurice Halstead in 1977. They quantify the program's complexity by analyzing its source code based on various factors such as the number of operators, operands, and unique operators and operands.
The metrics aim to provide a quantitative assessment of the program's complexity, which can be used to evaluate and compare different software systems. The higher the Halstead metrics, the more complex the program's lexicon is.
For example, if two programs have similar functionality but one has a higher Halstead metric value, it suggests that the latter program might be more difficult to understand and maintain due to its higher complexity.