License Coverage
Question: How much of the code base has declared licenses?
Overview
License Coverage measures the proportion of code and documentation files in a software repository that have explicitly declared licenses. The data points are the number of files with declared licenses and the total number of files in the repository, expressed as a percentage. This provides transparency about the licensing terms governing the code, which is crucial for both internal and external use. License coverage provides insight into the percentage of files in a software package that have a declared license, leading to two use cases:
- A software package sourced for internal organizational use: Declared license coverage can highlight points of interest or concern when using that software package.
- A software package provided to external, downstream projects: Declared license coverage offers transparent license information, which is necessary for downstream integration, deployment, and use.
Want to Know More?
Filters
- Time: Licenses declared in a repository can change over time as the dependencies of the repository change. One of the principal motivations for tracking license presence, aside from basic awareness, is to draw attention to any unexpected new license introduction.
Visualizations
Web Presentation of Augur Web Output
JSON Presentation of Augur Json Output
References
Contributors
- Kevin Lumbard
- Peculiar C Umeh
Additional Information
To edit this metric please submit a Change Request here
To reference this metric in software or publications please use this stable URL: https://chaoss.community/?p=3961
The usage and dissemination of health metrics may lead to privacy violations. Organizations may be exposed to risks. These risks may flow from compliance with the GDPR in the EU, with state law in the US, or with other laws. There may also be contractual risks flowing from terms of service for data providers such as GitHub and GitLab. The usage of metrics must be examined for risk and potential data ethics problems. Please see CHAOSS Data Ethics document for additional guidance.