Software metrics for agent technologies and possible educational usage

Abstract

In a long history of inventing different methods for assessing software quality huge number of software metrics has been proposed. In this paper we will first give a brief overview of different approaches to measure software and all processes connected to software development. Particular attention further will be paid on metrics in agent technology and multiagent systems (MAS) that are based on "classical metrics" but introduce novel specific techniques in line with agent paradigm. In spite the fact that there is a number of metrics developed for software agents and MASs it is a little bit strange that in higher ICT education we do not have appropriate topics devoted to these very specific metrics. Such drawback should be resolved in some acceptable way. In this paper we try to propose some adequate ways and possibilities of improving current situation in ICT higher-education in agent paradigm and suggest several slight changes in existing curricula.