Description of the Categories

The categories are loosely defined by the ISO 9126 standard and are provided here for easy reference during the draft phase.

Analysability

The capability of the software product to be diagnosed for deficiencies or causes of failures in the software, or for the parts to be modified to be identified.

Changeability

The capability of the software product to enable a specified modification to be implemented.

Installability

The capability of the software product to be installed in a specified environment.

Interoperability

The capability of the software product to interact with one or more specified systems.

Learnability

The capability of the software product to enable the user to learn its application.

Maintainability

The capability of the software product to be modified. Modifications may include corrections, improvements or adaptation of the software to changes in environment, and in requirements and functional specifications.

Portability

The capability of the software product to be transferred from one environment to another.

Testability

The capability of the software product to enable modified software to be validated.

Understandability

The capability of the software product to enable the user to understand whether the software is suitable, and how it can be used for particular tasks and conditions of use.

Usability

The capability of the software product to be understood, learned, used and attractive to the user, when used under specified conditions.

Other potential categories

Other ISO categories that may be relevant in the criteria provided to date or to consider for future additions.

Adaptability

The capability of the software product to be adapted for different specified environments without applying actions or means other than those provided for this purpose for the software considered.

Attractiveness

The capability of the software product to be attractive to the user.

Co-existence

The capability of the software product to co-exist with other independent software in a common environment sharing common resources.

Efficiency

The capability of the software product to provide appropriate performance, relative to the amount of esources used, under stated conditions. [See additional efficiency definitions, time behavior, etc.]

Operability

The capability of the software product to enable the user to operate and control it.

Reliability

The capability of the software product to maintain a specified level of performance when used under specified conditions.

Replaceability

The capability of the software product to be used in place of another specified software product for the same purpose in the same environment.

Security

The capability of the software product to protect information and data so that unauthorised persons or systems cannot read or modify them and authorised persons or systems are not denied access to them.

Stability

The capability of the software product to avoid unexpected effects from modifications of the software.

Usability Compliance

The capability of the software product to adhere to standards, conventions, style guides or regulations relating to usability.