Glossary

Short definitions of the terms DevGhost uses.

Ghost%

An estimate of individual code productivity relative to a reference developer: E ÷ (D × 3 × S) × 100 at the default norm, where E is reference hours, D is the selected day count and S is Share ÷ 100. Above 100% means above-baseline output; it does not by itself prove AI use. Team summaries weight individual percentages by effort.

Ghost norm (pre-AI baseline)

The default comparison baseline for Ghost%: 3 reference hours per developer-day before the Share adjustment. It allows for the ordinary non-coding work in a developer’s role. It is a separate parameter from the capacity used to distribute effort across dates.

Cognitive effort

An estimate of the work needed to understand, design, implement, self-test, and correct a code change, expressed in reference-developer hours. It is not actual elapsed time, code quality, or the full value of a person’s role.

AI leverage

Additional output made possible by AI assistance. AI may contribute to Ghost% above 100%, but Ghost% alone cannot attribute the increase to AI.

Reference developer

The yardstick for every estimate: a mid-level developer (3–4 years) who knows the codebase and works without AI.

FTE-day

A developer-day in the FTE denominator: weekdays within the developer’s activity span intersected with the selected period, plus weekend dates carrying effort. It can include days with no commits. Separate employee-calendar reports use available minutes divided by 480; FTE-days are not estimated effort divided by eight hours.