A study of various viewpoints and aspects software quality perspective

IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308
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Volume: 04 Issue: 09 | September-2015, Available @ http://www.ijret.org 18
A STUDY OF VARIOUS VIEWPOINTS AND ASPECTS : SOFTWARE
QUALITY PERSPECTIVE
Jogannagari Malla Reddy1
, S.V.A.V. Prasad2
1
Research Scholar, Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering, Lingaya’s University, Faridabad, Haryana, India
2
Professor & Dean( Research & Development), Lingaya’s University, Faridabad, Haryana, India
Abstract
The software quality is very important research of software engineering grown from the last two decades. The software
engineering paradigm adopted by many organizations to develop the high quality software at affordable cost. The high quality
software is considered as one of the key factor in the rapid growth of Global Software Development. The software metrics
computes and evaluates the quality characteristics and used to take quantitative and qualitative decisions for risk assessment and
reduction. The multiple stakeholders can view the software quality in multiple angles with various aspects. In this paper we
present multiple views of the software quality with respect to various quality aspects.
Key Words : Stakeholders, Functional aspect, Structural aspect, Process aspect, Metrics etc.
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1. INTRODUCTION
The software engineering discipline that focus on the cost
effective development of high quality software. The software
is logical product and intangible The software organizations
are commitment to quality. Many software organizations have
been seriously concentrating on effective ways to improve the
product quality. The quality culture ultimately leads to
development of more effective approaches in the software
engineering. As many companies in the software industry still
not following software engineering approaches effectively in
their software development projects still produces software
with time delay, over budget and not realistic. The delivered
software products should meets the customer expectations.
The lack of quality has leads to significant costs in terms of
money and time to the developers and unsatisfaction to the
users. The faulty systems can’t fulfill the goals of customers.
The following effect is on the internal and external of
organization over the time due lack of software quality.
 Economical loss due to lost business.
 Economical loss for payment of compensations
 Financial loss occurred with lost customers.
 Unnecessary investment can be made due to legal
consequences and suits.
 The damage of firm brand image.
The software engineering provides a rich set of frameworks,
methods and tools in aid of development of software projects.
The software product quality is highly related to the quality of
the software process The software process consists the
dominant feature of framework activity for planning,
conceptualizing, designing ,construction and deployment.
A software standards recommends the mandatory methods,
rules, requirements and practices to be employed during the
software development. The standards make possible
to measure the size, content, value or quality of software
entity. Measurement is the process that helps the
organizations to evaluate their products. Software
metrics measure different aspects of software complexity,
which play the crucial role in analyzing and enhance the
software quality.
This paper presents various aspects of software quality
with respect to the different stakeholders.. The
organization of the rest of the paper is as follows. The
Section 2 describes the related work focusing prior work
on quality metrics. The Section 3 states the General
definitions, Viewpoints and Aspects of the software
quality. Section 4 Discussion of metrics for improving
the software quality. Finally a discussion about
Conclusions and future scope is given in the Section 5.
2. RELATED WORK
Over the years eminent theorists defined the quality with
various concepts. These concept taxonomy can be benefit
for discussion, setting up and evaluating the software
products. Apart from that, researchers designed and
implemented different software quality assurance
techniques and models for enhancement of quality culture.
The number of researchers have worked to address
various issues in this domain of software quality metrics.
 H.F. LI derived the empirical study on various
metrics using a Fortran Static source code analyzer
including with new hybrid metrics. The hybrid
metric can incorporate both volume and control
attributes in assessing software product complexity.

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 Sadia Rehman et al[2] described the role of software
metrics in the global software development with
systematic literature for data search.
 Dr. Deepshikha Jamwal [3] compared the different
software quality models with each other. Some
recommendation made for future researchers.
 Mrinal Singh Rawat et al[4] focuses on the software
quality with extendable knowledge on multiple
stakeholders of the software product. The author
compared of software metrics with strengths and
weaknesses.
 Kitchenham [5] defined the quality as complex, it is
highly context dependent. The different stakeholders are
relevant with the quality. There is no single, simple
measure for measuring the software quality which is
acceptable by everyone.
 Shyam.R et al[6] addresses the needs through the
development and implementation of new suite of metrics
for OO design. The research paper contributed the
development and empirical validation of a set of
theoretical ground of metrics on object oriented design.
 ISO quality standards adapted by organizations to focus
the their performance levels. The various internal and
external quality factors are focused in the ISO 9126
quality model.
 David Chappell presented the paper on software quality
in stakeholder point of view. Chappell considered the
process quality as more important.
 Gurdev Singh et al[7] presented the research paper on
classification of software metrics. with advantages and
limitations.
 Munch[8] proposed context-oriented alignment of
process patterns, project goals and characteristics of
project environment. The paper presented with an
abstract of one or more software development processes.
 Barbara Kitchenham has held a survey on advancement
of software metrics research with 103 papers published
in between 2000 and 2005. She suggested the
researchers need to refine the empirical methodology to
solve the software quality metric problems.
 According to the Tom Demcrio “You need not control
what you can’t measure”. The quality measurement is
prerequisite to management control in the organizations
[9]
 Rafa E. Al-Qutaish[10] assured the software product
quality during the software development life cycle with
ISO perceptive. The author derived the weakness of the
cross references between the two ISO standards had been
highlighted.
 Mbusi Sibisi et al[11] developed a process
framework that can be used to customize or tailor
software quality models to fulfill the needs of
customer and organization.
 A Review on Software Quality Models presented
by Mr Brijendra Singh et al[12] with quality
attribute comparison based on Software quality
process and software quality models.
 Tharashasank Davuluru et al[13] compared the
characteristics with software quality models and
proposed future frame work for modeling the quality
of web based systems.
 According to Gordon[14], software quality is
important characteristic affecting overall system
development lifecycle cost and performance.
3. GENERAL DEFINITIONS, VIEWPOINTS
AND ASPECTS OF SOFTWARE QUALTIY
Software quality is an important issue in the development
of successful product. Quality of software is often
expressed in its internal and external attributes which are
subdivided into the other attributes such as flexibility,
efficiency, maintainability, testability, interoperability,
portability, and reusability. A metric is quantifiable
measurement of software product, or project that directly
observed and calculated. Software metrics provide a
quantitative basis for planning and predicting software
development processes. Many metrics and models have
been developed, promoted and utilized resulting in
remarkable successes.
In this section, we would first look the basic definitions of
Software Metrics defined by eminent persons and reputed
organizations followed by an overview of metrics.
3.1 Definitions
 “Software Quality is the degree to which a system ,
component, or process meets specified requirements
and meets customer needs or expectations”. [IEEE ]
 “Quality comprises all characteristics and significant
features of a product or activity which relate to the
satisfying of given requirements”. [German Industry
Standard DIN 55350 Part 11].
 “Quality is the totality of features and characteristics
of a product or a service that bears on its ability to
satisfy the give needs”. [ANSI Standard 1978 ]
 “The continuation application of measurement-based
techniques to the software development process and
its products to supply meaningful and timely
management information, together with the use of
those techniques to improve the process and its
products”. [ Paul Goodman]

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 “You cannot control what you cannot measure”. [Tom
Demarco]
 “ I know no way of judging the future, but by the past”.
[Patrick’s Henry]
 The definitions provides more scope to discuss the
software quality on various aspects in multiple views.
3.2 The Viewpoints of the Software Quality
The project stakeholder is an individual actively involved in a
project , or whose interest might in direct or indirect as of
result of project execution.
The influential research paper theorized by David & Garvin
states that “ software Quality depends on number of factors
which is perceived in various domains, including economics,
philosophy, marketing and operational research”.
He concluded the concept “quality is complex and
multifaceted “ that can be described in different views which
are follows .
 The user view sees the quality as fitness for operational
use.
 The Manufacturing view sees quality as conformance to
specification.
 The product view looks the quality is tie-up internal
features of the product.
 The Value-based view sees the quality is relevant to the
cost to benefit angle.
The different views can be held by different groups involved
in the software development. Customers and marketing
groups typically in the user view, researchers and innovators
are in product view, the production people, development
teams are in manufacturing view and product purchasers take
rather different value-based view.
User view : The product usability is related with user view.
This software quality is high subjective depending on product
characteristics that meets the user’s needs. The quality
evaluates the product as highly personalized view.
The product should be more flexible to operate, usable in their
environments that is expected to functionality and usage
pattern like business, laboratories etc.
Manufacturing View : The model ISO 9001 and the
Capability Maturity Model focuses on manufacturing view
that stress on following process as opposed to going by
specification. The manufacturing view encompasses the
product quality during production and after delivery. The best
and high quality manufacturing process will automatically
lead to a better product, that cannot be inferred with
substandard product. The conformance to process standards
guarantees good products. The both models ISO as well as the
CMM , indirectly do imply that the concept of “ Documenting
what you do and doing what you say” helps in improving the
product quality.
Product View : The product viewpoint focuses at the
inherent features as well as the characteristics of the
product. This approach is frequently adopted by software-
metrics. The idea of measuring internal product
properties( internal quality indicators ) leads to improve
the external product behaviour . There is broad scope in
development of models to link the product view to the
user view.
Value based view : The value-based view becomes
important when there are lot of contrasting views in
different departments of the organization. The customers
generally take a user view and the technical department
will generally take a product view. Though initially these
different viewpoints helps to develop the software product
with 360 degrees in quality with different viewpoints. The
user’s requirement for product may in conflict with
manufacturer’s goal of minimizing rework. A value based
view technique can mange the conflicts when
requirements are changed. The view resolve such issues
by looking at the issue in relation in terms of cost,
constraints, time and resources. The value
based viewpoint looks the conflict with a cost to benefit
angle.
3.3 The Aspects of the Software Quality
The group of people i.e. users, developers and
management sponsors interested in software quality and
they can face outcome of defects in externally or
internally over the time. The stakeholders may care about
the quality in different aspects like functional, structural
and process aspect. Each quality aspect being
relevant in some way to these group of people. The users
are interested in functional aspect and little bit interest on
the delivery schedule of process aspect. Developers have
much interest on the structural aspect (i.e code), but
also have less interest on functional aspect than the users.
The project development process to meet a deadline by
improving process quality. The management sponsors
are indirect users of the product they relevant with all
aspects of the software quality. The change in one
aspect leads the impact on other aspect as positive or
negative.
Functional Aspect : The functional aspect fulfill the
functions requirements of the system/ user. The
functional aspect is the service the system should provide,
how the system should react in particulars inputs and how
the system should behave in particular situations and
conditions (i.e input, output, exceptions). Some
times that may also explicitly state what the systemshould
not do. Failure to meet an individual functional aspect
requirements may leads to degraded system. The
attributes are following..
Meeting the functional requirements : These requirements
are services collected from the management sponsors and
intended users of the project. The functional quality
should meet the requirements in consistent and complete.
The dynamic learning systems are practically impossible

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to achieve requirement with consistence and completeness.
Product with few defects. : The software with bugs can reduce
the reliability, compromise the security. The system should
correctly deliver the services as expected by the user over
the period of time.
Product with good performance : From the user’s point of
view, there’s no such software product as a good when it
slow performance.
Performance of User Interface design : the functional
quality depends on the product user interface. The aesthetic
elements, navigational elements and technical elements can in
increase the performance and make more beautiful of user
interface design.
Structural Aspect : The structural aspect is relevant with the
software code. The structured programming can reduce code
complexity and increases the structural quality of the product.
The various tools used to improve and measure the software
structural quality. The structural quality depends on the
following attributes.
* Testability : The source code organized in the way
of testable.
* Maintainability : The source code is to modifiable
according to operational & technical change.
* Understandability: The code is unambiguous, easy
to readable and understandable to new developers.
* Efficiency: The efficiency is resource-constrained.
The efficient programming can be critically important.
* Security : The software should prevent common attacks
and malfunctioning of unauthorized.
Process Aspect : The process aspect critically important
to the users, developers and management sponsors.
The three stake holders are interested the following attributes
in getting project deadline .
Time constraint : The software should delivered with in
time schedule or not. ?
Budget constraint: The software should delivered with in
budget or not. ?
Operational constraint: The software should possible to
executable in environment or not?
4. METRICS FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY
The software is not only coding of program, it is complex
process with engineering vision, analytical thinking, modeling
and software process management supported tools.
The quality assurance is crucial in software development.
Quality standards will also be used for upcoming projects
and increase company growth. Testing is very important
for software quality. Tools for improving functional
quality through manual testing tools through user interface
and automated testing tool, such as frameworks for unit
testing. The software refactoring improves the structural
quality of the product. The developer improve the
code structure without changing it behavior. The structural
quality tools encompasses the static code analysis,
examining code for security attacks and measure
the test coverage . These tools provide the code
metrics and measure the cyclomatic complexity. The
process metrics improve the process quality of the
development process. The tools will track the process
status, tracing the progress against requirements and
measure the project fitness.
5. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION
The software quality is not possible to view in single
direction. The quality visualize based on various
perspectives of the stakeholders. The three areas of
aspects help us to think about the kinds of tools for
improving the software quality. A various metrics are
exercised for measuring the software product quality prior
to implementation. Future research directions include
improvement in existing metrics based on nature of
the aspect and magnitude of the problem statement.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We sincerely acknowledge to all the academicians of the
Department of Computer Science & Engineering,
Lingaya’s University, Faridabad for their motivation,
support and cooperation during the study.
REFERENCES
[1] H.F.LI , “ An Empirical Study of Metrics”, IEEE
Transaction on Software Engineering, Vol. SE-13,
No. 6, June, 1987
[2] Sadia Rehman et al, “ Swot Analysis of Software
Quality Metrics for Global Software Development
: A Systematic Literature Review Protocol”, IOSR
Journal of Computer Engineering, Vol.2. Issue 1,
2012
[3] Dr. Deepshikha Jamwal, “ Analysis of Software
Quality Models for Organizations”, International
Journal of Latest Trends in Computing, Vol. 1,
Issue. 2, Dec 2010
[4] Mrinal Singh Rawat et al, “ Survey on Impact of
Software Metrics on Software Quality “,
International Journal of Advanced Computer
Science & Applications, Vol. 3., No. 1, 2012
[5] B. Kitchenham, “What’s up with software
metrics?- A Preliminary mapping study”, The
Journal of Systems and software”, 2010
[6] Shyam R. et al, “ A Metrics Suite for Object
Oriented Design”, IEEE Transactions on Software
Engineering, Vol. 20, No. 6, June 1994.
[7] Gurdev Singh et al, “ A Study of Software

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Metrics”, International Journal of Computational
Engineering & Management, Vol. 11, Jan, 2011.
[8] Munch j, “ Goal-oriented Composition of
Software Process Patterns”, Proc. of the 6th
International Workshop on Software Process
Simulation and Modeling , pp. 164-168, 2005.
[9] Barbara Kitchenham et al, “ Software Quality :
The Exclusive Target”, IEEE publication, Jan,
1966.
10] Rafa E. Al-Qutaish, “Measuring the Software
Product Quality during the Software Development
Life Cyle – An ISO Standards Perspective, Journal
of Computer Science.5(5) , pp 392-397, 2009.
[11] Mbusi Sibisi et al, “ A Process Framework for
Customizing Software Quality Models ”, IEEE
Manuscript , Mar 2007.
[12] Brijendra Singh et al, “ A Review on Software
Quality Models”, International Conference on
Communication Systems and Network
Technologies.
[13] Tharashasank Davuluru et al, “ A Study of
Software Quality Models”, IEEE – ICAETR-
2014, Unnao, India, Aug 2014.
[14] Gordon W. Skelton, “Integrating total quality
management with software engineering
education”, ACM Vol 25 Issue 2, June 1993
BIOGRAPHIES
Jogannagari Malla Reddy obtained
M.Tech (CSE) from JNTU, Hyderabad.
and pursuing Ph.D (CSE) from Lingaya’s
University, Faridabad. His area of
specialization in software Engineering,
Management Information Systems and
Database Management Systems. He
published various papers on Information
Systems in various National and International reputed
Journals & conferences.
Dr. S.V.A.V. Prasad done his PhD from
Andhra University, presently he working
as Professor & Dearn (R&D) in
Lingaya’s University, Faridabad, has 30
years of experience in Teaching and
R&D. He published various research
papers in National and International
reputed Journals & Conferences. He
guided many students in research progrmmes at university in
communication systemand information systemareas.

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