Software Quality

Chapter 17

I.Omaima Al-Matrafi
Exercises
• 1. Briefly explain the five different views of software quality.
• 2. Briefly explain how one can measure the user’s view of software quality.
• 3. Briefly explain how one can measure the manufacturer’s view of software
• quality.
• 4. Briefly explain McCall’s quality factors and quality criteria.
• 5. Briefly explain McCall’s categorization of quality factors into three quality
• criteria.
• 6. Briefly explain the ISO 9126 quality characteristics.
• 7. Compare McCall’s quality model with the ISO 9126 quality model.
• 8. State some difficulties in applying the McCall and ISO 9126 quality
models.
• 9. Briefly explain the ISO 9000:2000 (Fundamental) document for quality
assurance.
• 10. Briefly explain the ISO 9001:2000 (Requirements) document for quality
assurance.
1. Briefly explain the five different
views of software quality.
The five views of software quality are
1. Transcendental view, SQ is something that can be perceived
through experience alone. A good quality object clearly stands out.

2. The user view of quality concerns the extent to which user needs
and expectations have been fulfilled.

3. In the manufacturing view, quality is something conforming to

requirements. The concept of a process plays a key role in
manufacturing. Products must be manufactured by following
process standards.

4. In the product view,. The central idea in the product view is

internal qualities are thought to affect external qualities.

5. Value based view is how much a customer is willing to pay for

a certain level of quality. (tradeoff between quality and cost).
2. Briefly explain how one can
measure the user’s view of software
quality.
To measure the user view of SQ
Identify the external quality attributes of a system.
• Examples: functionality, Usability and reliabilty.

• Functionality : can be computed as the ratio of the

number of pass test cases to the total number of test
cases.

• Reliability : measured by counting the number of faults

or the failure rate of a system.

• OR apply Gilb’s technique :broken down into component

parts until each can be stated in terms of directly
measurable attributes
3. Briefly explain how one can
measure the manufacturer’s view of
software quality.
Manufacturers count two things as a
measure of SQ
1. Defect count: The total number of defects detected
during development and operation.
▫ It is a measure of the quality of the work produced.

2. Rework cost: that is how much it costs to fix the

defects.
 pre-release (development) rework cost: is a measure
of development efficiency
 post-release (oparation) rework cost: is a measure
of delivered quality.
4. Briefly explain McCall’s quality
factors and quality criteria.
• A quality factor: represents a behavioral characteristic
of a system. McCall’s 11 quality factors are:
correctness, reliability, efficiency, integrity, usability,
maintainability, testability, flexibility, portability,
reusability, and interoperability.

• A quality Criterion: is an attribute of a quality factor

that is related to software development. McCall suggested
23 quality criteria.

• Ex: modularity  maintainability

5. Briefly explain McCall’s
categorization of quality factors
into three quality criteria.
• McCall’s quality factors relate more to the quality of
delivered products, rather than products in development
or development processes themselves.
6. Briefly explain the ISO
9126 quality characteristics
7. Compare McCall’s quality model with the
ISO 9126 quality model.
McCall model ISO 9126 model
(quality factor) (quality characteristic)

Similarity High-level factors/characteristics in both models are:

reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability, and portability.

Internal characteristic External characteristic

(visible to user)
1 Q attribute can impact several 1 Q subcharacteristic impact 1 Q
Differences Q factors characteristic

Testability : is a high level factor Testability: is a low level

(subcharacteristic) of
maintainability
8. State some difficulties in applying the
McCall and ISO 9126 quality models.
• No consensus about what high level quality factors are
important. (McCall 11,ISO 6)

• No consensus about what is a top level quality

characteristic and what is a more concrete quality sub-
characteristic (or attribute). Interoperability.

• An absence of rationale in both the quality models.

Hence, it is difficult to follow a prescribed model
9. Briefly explain the ISO 9000:2000
(Fundamental) document for quality
assurance.
▫ This is based on eight principles.
1. Customer focus
2. Leadership
3. Involvement of people
4. Process approach
5. System approach to management
6. Continual improvement
7. Factual approach to decision making
8. Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
10. Briefly explain the ISO 9001:2000
(Requirements) document for quality
assurance.
▫ The five major parts of this document are as follows.
 Part 4. Systemic requirements
 Part 5. Management requirements
 Part 6. Resource requirements
 Part 7. Realization requirements
 Part 8. Remedial requirements