An Overview and Comparison of Technical Debt Measurement Tools

Authors :: Antonio Martini
Davide Taibi
Nyyti Saarimäki
Ilaria Pigazzini
Apostolos Ampatzoglou
Athanasia Moschou
Darius Sas
Saulo Soares de Toledo
Paris Avgeriou
Francesca Arcelli Fontana
Terese Besker
Angeliki Agathi Tsintzira
Alexander Chatzigeorgiou
Valentina Lenarduzzi
Avgeriou, P
Taibi, D
Ampatzoglou, A
Arcelli Fontana, F
Besker, T
Chatzigeorgiou, A
Lenarduzzi, V
Martini, A
Moschou, N
Pigazzini, I
Saarimaki, N
Sas, D
de Toledo, S
Tsintzira, A
Tampere University
Computing Sciences
Software Engineering
Source :: Ieee software, 38(3), 61-71. IEEE COMPUTER SOC
Publication Year :: 2020
Publisher :: IEEE COMPUTER SOC, 2020.
Abstract: There are numerous commercial tools and research prototypes that offer support for measuring technical debt. However, different tools adopt different terms, metrics, and ways to identify and measure technical debt. These tools offer diverse features, and their popularity / community support varies significantly. Therefore, (a) practitioners face difficulties when trying to select a tool matching their needs; and (b) the concept of technical debt and its role in software development is blurred. We attempt to clarify the situation by comparing the features and popularity of technical debt measurement tools, and analyzing the existing empirical evidence on their validity. Our findings can help practitioners to find the most suitable tool for their purposes, and researchers by highlighting the current tool shortcomings.