This recommended practice addresses the evaluation and selection of CASE tools supporting software engineering processes including project management processes, predevelopment processes, development processes, post development processes, and integral processes (see IEEE Std 1074-1991). It is not intended to address systems engineering, integrated software engineering environments, or general purpose tools such as spreadsheets or word processors. This recommended practice assumes that evaluation/selection activities are initiated by a person or group with the authority to commit the resources necessary to perform the activities. It assumes that recommendations resulting from these activities are provided to the initiator and/or to some other decision maker external to the process. It does not address activities leading up to the evaluation/selection process initiation, nor activities following a decision recommendation, such as acquisition-related activities, or qualification activities such as use in pilot projects. This recommended practice assumes that its user understands the job the CASE tool is to perform and the environmental constraints that would affect the use of the CASE tool. It does not address process maturity, technological readiness, or implementation of CASE tools. The evaluation and selection processes recommended in this recommended practice are based upon the perspective of a CASE tool user. Thus, the evaluation and selection criteria address only program characteristics visible to the user, such as program inputs and outputs, program function, user interfaces, and documented external program interfaces. Not addressed are the aspects of the CASE tool's programs or the process by which they were developed. This recommended practice neither dictates nor advocates particular or specific development standards, design methods, methodologies, techniques, programming languages, or life cycle paradigms. The existence of this recommended practice should not be construed to prohibit additional efforts in the evaluation and selection processes.