A Comparative Assessment of Software Metrics Tools

In the recurrent monitoring of software quality, numerous quality metrics tools have evolved in response to the progressive need in software metrics evolution. Most of these tools, however, are developed to the constraints of system requirements, platform restrictions and/ or organizational definitions. Consequent open-ended application queries arise from software metrics and their corresponding tools' proliferation: what are the effects of one tool's execution over another? What are the output file format extensions and their associations with real environment and/ or tools? Are their file associations flexible and easily accessible? How possible is it to successfully run a needed combination of these tools on a computer system? It is apparent that these tools are run differently on their host platforms. This paper presents feature reviews of software metrics tools' execution descriptions, their platforms and implications on host system to an aggregate result ratio of 3: 2 in the average uniform to non-uniform result pattern of the 15 characteristics studied.