MCL: Metrics-based Constraint Language

Abstract

Software measures are underused due to the difficulty of interpreting their results and associating them to software quality. Different environments, languages, and development methodologies require specific measures and range of values. Thus, this paper proposes MCL (Metrics-based Constraint Language), a language that allows to specify, for different system components, the measures to be used and the expected range of values for each measure. We implemented a tool, called MCLcheck, to verify if a system conforms to the specified MCL restrictions and to report the detected violations. We explored different contexts of language usage through the MyAppointments system, demonstrating the applicability of MCL and its effectiveness as a language that provides support for preservation of quality factors, maintainability, and performance of information systems.