ESSE: an expert system for software evaluation

Solving software evaluation problems is a particularly difficult software engineering process and many different often contradictory criteria must be considered in order to reach a decision. This paper presents ESSE, a prototype expert system for software evaluation that embodies various aspects of the Multiple-Criteria Decision Aid (MCDA) methodology. Its main features are the flexibility in problem modeling and the built-in knowledge about software problem solving and software attribute assessment. Evaluation problems are modeled around top-level software attributes, such as quality and cost. Expert assistants guide the evaluator in feeding values to the decision model. ESSE covers all important dimensions of software evaluation through the integration of different technologies.