Evaluating tools and environments concept

The Software Technology Support Center (STSC) is the single USAF center and focal point for advocating, sustaining, and disseminating software engineering tools and environments. The STSC test and evaluation concept and specifies about the process and criteria for evaluating the tools and environments are discussed. The criteria and metrics are structured to form the software tool evaluation model (STEM) which specifies a model software engineering environment used to evaluate software engineering tools and environments. The STEM is used as a measurement device (to measure tools and environments), as an open-ended framework for evaluation criteria, as a dynamic target for tool developers to meet, and as a basis for writing tool purchase specifications. The goal of the evaluation process using STEM is to produce an unbiased tool evaluation. Users are assisted in selecting the right tools by weighting their selection criteria and elements of their applications. The weights are then applied to the evaluation results to determine which tools best meet their application and requirements