ISO IEC 9126-1-2001 PDF

Full title and description

ISO/IEC 9126-1:2001 — "Software engineering — Product quality — Part 1: Quality model". This part defines a structured quality model for software products (internal, external and quality-in-use perspectives) and introduces characteristics and subcharacteristics used to specify and evaluate software product quality.

Abstract

Part 1 of ISO/IEC 9126 establishes a hierarchical quality model that decomposes software product quality into major characteristics (functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability and portability) and describes quality-in-use (effectiveness, productivity, safety and satisfaction). It explains relationships among internal, external and quality-in-use views and gives guidance on applying the model and on metrics (annexed).

General information

• Status: Withdrawn (superseded by ISO/IEC 25010:2011).
• Publication date: June 2001 (published 21 June 2001 in ISO bibliographic records).
• Publisher: ISO/IEC (International Organization for Standardization in cooperation with IEC; developed by ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7).
• ICS / categories: 35.080 (Software).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2001).
• Number of pages: 25 pages.

Scope

The standard defines a quality-model framework for software products that can be used to set quality goals, specify quality requirements and evaluate products at different lifecycle stages. It covers internal attributes (static), external attributes (observable during execution) and quality-in-use (end-user outcomes) and provides a basis for deriving metrics and evaluation approaches. The model is intended to be adapted by organizations to their needs.

Key topics and requirements

• Quality model framework: internal, external and quality-in-use views and their relationships.
• Main product-quality characteristics: Functionality, Reliability, Usability, Efficiency, Maintainability, Portability (each with defined subcharacteristics such as suitability, accuracy, interoperability, maturity, fault tolerance, learnability, time behaviour, analysability, adaptability, etc.).
• Quality in use characteristics: Effectiveness, Productivity, Safety and Satisfaction.
• Guidance on using the quality model to set requirements and evaluate intermediate and final products (including conformance notes).
• Annex with example metrics (normative guidance on measures for selected characteristics and how to link internal measurements to external and quality-in-use outcomes).

Typical use and users

Intended users include software developers and architects, quality assurance and test teams, acquisition and procurement specialists, evaluators, researchers and standards bodies. Typical uses are defining product-quality requirements, structuring quality evaluation programs, selecting or deriving metrics, and communicating quality expectations between suppliers and acquirers.

Related standards

ISO/IEC 9126-1 is part of the broader ISO/IEC 9126 family (including TR parts for external, internal and quality-in-use metrics) and has been superseded by the SQuaRE series (notably ISO/IEC 25010:2011 which defines an updated quality model). Related standards and references include ISO/IEC 9126-2, ISO/IEC 9126-3, ISO/IEC 9126-4 (metric TRs), ISO/IEC 14598 (product evaluation guidance) and the ISO/IEC 25000 series (SQuaRE).

Keywords

software quality, quality model, product quality, ISO/IEC 9126, functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability, portability, quality in use, metrics, SQuaRE, ISO/IEC 25010.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/IEC 9126-1:2001 is the first part of the ISO/IEC 9126 series that defines a model for software product quality (characteristics, subcharacteristics and the notion of internal/external/quality-in-use views).

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers a hierarchical quality model (functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability, portability) and quality-in-use (effectiveness, productivity, safety, satisfaction), guidance on applying the model, and example metrics in an annex.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Developers, QA/test teams, evaluators, acquirers/procurement staff, researchers and anyone defining or assessing software product quality.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO/IEC 9126-1:2001 is withdrawn and has been superseded by ISO/IEC 25010 (published 2011) as part of the ISO/IEC 25000 SQuaRE family; organizations typically reference ISO/IEC 25010 for current product-quality models.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — originally part of the ISO/IEC 9126 family (parts and technical reports for metrics: TR 9126-2, TR 9126-3, TR 9126-4). The work was later folded into the SQuaRE series (ISO/IEC 25000+), which provides updated models and guidance.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Software quality, quality model, functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability, portability, quality in use, metrics, SQuaRE.