A Guide to the Classification and Assessment of Software Engineering Tools

Software engineering tools are computer programs that assist people in doing the work of software engineering. As understanding of the software engineering process has broadened and the need to solve problems has intensified, there has been increasing interest in using software engineering tools. Understanding what a tool does and comparing it to similar tools are difficult tasks given the diversity of functionality that exists. This report describes a tool classification technique that helps those investigating tools decide where a tool fits in the software engineering process and identify what a tool does or doesn't do. It also provides guidance to the tool evaluation process and lists specific criteria that should be considered when evaluating tools.