Measuring and Evaluating the Understandable Quality Metric for XML Schema documents

Abstract

The eXtensible Markup Language (XML) based web applications are used for data representing, exchanging and storing via internet by the usage of XML standard schema. If XML schema files are difficult to understand for enhancing functions, correcting faults, or adapting them to new circumstances, changes may cause serious faults. Such changes may cost more time and money than remaking new XML schema document (XSD). A good understandable quality design of XSD increases software productivity and minimize development time. In this paper, the understandable quality metric (UQ) is proposed for the assessment of the quality of W3C XML schema document. The metric is formulated based on binary entropy method. The greater UQ value leads to more understandable quality. The validity of the proposed metric is proved empirically and theoretically through actual test cases.