This article outlines an approach that avoids these problems by choosing a retrieval method that utilizes minimal repository structure to effectively support the process of finding software components. The approach is demonstrated through a pair of proof-ofconcept prototypes: PEEL, a tool to semiautomatically identify reusable components, and CodeFinder, a retrieval system that compensates for the lack of explicit knowledge structures through a spreading activation retrieval process. CodeFinder also allows component representations to be modified while users are searching for information. This mechanism adapts to the changing nature of the information in the repository and incrementally improves the repository while people use it. The combination of these techniques holds potential for designing software repositories that minimize up-front costs, effectively support the search process, and evolve with an organization's changing needs.

Properly structured software libraries are crucial for the success of software reuse. Specifically, the structure of the software library ought to reflect the functional similarity of the stored software components in order to facilitate the retrieval process. We propose the application of artificial neural network technology to achieve such a structured library. In more detail, we rely on full-text indexing of the software manual in order to obtain the software representation. This software representation is further used as the input data during the training process of an artificial neural network adhering to the unsupervised learning paradigm. The distinctive feature of this very model is to make the semantic relationship between the stored software components geographically explicit. Thus, the actual user of the software library gets a notion of the semantic relationship between the components in terms of their geographical closeness. 1 Introduction Software reuse is concerned with...

We will introduce an infrastructure called Experience Factory that supports organizational learning in software development, i.e. the systematic reuse of all kinds of software knowledge. We are detailing existing software knowledge reuse process models using a knowledge level framework for case-based reasoning, based on an extension of the case-based reasoning cycle of Aamodt and Plaza [AP94]. Currently an experience base, the experience factory subpart where the knowledge is stored, is being built using case-based reasoning focusing on software inspections carried out in industrial software organizations.

Object-orientation and reuse are two techniques, which, combined, can solve many problems in the maintenance of old software. MOORE combines these techniques as a reengineering tool, which helps the user to transform old programs from COBOL85 to object-oriented COBOL. A class library is created to be used for transforming further programs and writing new objectoriented programs. The user should be familiar with the application field and the programs to be transformed. 1 Introduction A decision to renovate software which has been in use for many years must be made primarily on economic grounds. There is extensive literature about renovating old software [Big88], [Big89], [Boo91], [Sig92]. Even the combination of reengineering and object-oriented programming is nothing new; see ESPRIT II projects REDO [Bre91] and REBOOT [Sem93] and the project Software Factory of the EC. Renovation includes many preparatory phases, including inspection, analysis and restructuring of source programs, ide...

. Smalltalk-80 is an objectoriented system promoting "programming by reuse". However, the complexity of the Smalltalk class library makes it difficult for the non-expert user to find the problem -solving class. This paper describes ClassExpert, a tool that helps to retrieve classes matching the functional specification provided by the user. ClassExpert deploys an attribute-value classification scheme with taxonomies. This paper also shows how this scheme can be used to support reuse by specialization and modification. Introduction Significant productivity improvements have been reported using object-oriented programming environments such as VisualWorks \Smalltalk. 1 One of the reasons for these improvements is their libraries of highly reusable classes. Unfortunately the size of these libraries makes it hard to find the desired class, especially for a beginner. For example, the class library of Visual- 1 VisualWorks is build on the ParcPlace Smalltalk system, a derivative of Smal...

. This paper highlights the role of non-functional information when reusing from a component library. We describe a method for selecting appropriate implementations of Ada packages taking non-functional constraints into account; these constraints model the context of reuse. Constraints take the form of queries using an interface description language called NoFun, which is also used to state non-functional information in Ada packages; query results are trees of implementations, following the import relationships between components. We define two different situations when reusing components, depending whether we take the library being searched as closed or extendible. The resulting tree of implementations can be manipulated by the user to solve ambiguities, to state default behaviours, and by the like. As part of the proposal, we face the problem of computing from code the non-functional information that determines the selection process. 1 Introduction Software components c...

The problems which occur when a company starts to establish mechanisms to realize software reuse are well known. The goal of the RSB-Project is to overcome these problems through a cooperative approach. This paper presents goals, pitfalls, and the results of the project which is carried out together with several industrial partners. In particular, we explain the concepts and the realization of a cooperative software component information system which is currently available on the Internet. It supports software reuse within a consortium of software producing organizations and specifically addresses the requirements of the industrial partners. Apart from reusable components developed by the project partners, this system also provides information on software components available on the public market. 1. Introduction The problems occurring when a company starts to establish mechanisms to realize software reuse are well known [21, 16, 11]. The RSB-Project aims overcome some of these prob...

A major problem concerning the reusability of software is the retrieval of software components. Different approaches have been followed to solve this problem. In this paper we present the Reuse Assistant, a hybrid approach to support the retrieval of software components from a library of object classes. The Reuse Assistant consists of two subsystems that follow two different approaches: information retrieval techniques based on statistical methods, and knowledge-based techniques using some of the representation and indexing mechanisms found in case-based systems. The Information Retrieval approach grants system extendibility, and permits the use of a natural language interface. The Case-Based approach enables reasoning about concepts, allowing the retrieval of "approximate" components. Both subsystems can be operated from a common interface, where free-text and form-filling queries can be posed. 1. Introduction Software reuse is widely believed to be one of the most promising...