Software Architecture Visualization: An Evaluation Framework and Its Application
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In order to characterize and improve software architecture visualization practice, the paper derives and constructs a qualitative framework, with 7 key areas and 31 features, for the assessment of software architecture visualization tools. The framework is derived by the application of the Goal Question Metric paradigm to information obtained from a literature survey and addresses a number of stakeholder issues. The evaluation is performed from multiple stakeholder perspectives and in various architectural contexts. Stakeholders can apply the framework to determine if a particular software architecture visualization tool is appropriate to a given task. The framework is applied in the evaluation of a collection of six software architecture visualization tools. The framework may also be used as a design template for a comprehensive software architecture visualization tool.
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Index Terms:
Software Architectures, Visualization techniques and methodologies
Citation:
Keith Gallagher, Andrew Hatch, Malcolm Munro, "Software Architecture Visualization: An Evaluation Framework and Its Application," IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 260-270, Mar./Apr. 2008, doi:10.1109/TSE.2007.70757
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