Definition(s):
According to ISO/IEC 9126, the external software quality is “the totality of characteristics of the software product from an external view. It is the quality when the software is executed, which is typically measured and evaluated while testing in a simulated environment with simulated data using external metrics. [….].” Besides, the ISO/IEC 9126 points out that “External quality and quality in use can be estimated and predicted during development for each quality characteristic defined in this part of ISO/IEC 9126 when proper technologies are developed“. In this context, external measure of software quality can be used. In turn, such external measure refers to “measure of the degree to which a software product enables the behaviour of a system to satisfy stated and implied needs for the system including the software to be used under specified conditions” (ISO/IEC 25010).
Source(s):
- ISO/IEC: ISO 25010 – Systems and software Quality Requirements and Evaluation (SQuaRE) — System and software quality models. Standart ISO/IEC Fdis 25010:2011 (2011).
- ISO/IEC: ISO 9126-1: Software engineering-product quality-part 1: Quality model.” Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Standardization 21 (2001).