Reuse Support Tools for Automated Constructino of Software Systems

Reuse in software engineering is an exciting concept that has yet to be reliably implemented. The number of program subroutines that are truly generic (and therefore applicable across all applications) is limited. However, there are specific applications that are required by many organizations, albeit with a set of constraints specific to each organization. This project proposes to design a tool set to facilitate reuse in the development of software systems. The technical approach focuses on the domain-oriented development of software systems that belong to a common class, proposing to build models of both the domain requirements and features, to develop a features-to-requirements mapping, to design both a derivation protocol and checks for completeness and consistency, and to develop a browsing mechanism to assist developers. Attainment of these objectives will provide a solid foundation for implementation of a truly innovative way to develop software throughout the life cycle. When implemented, the tool set will be made commercially available to the many organizations that wish to build software systems that are valid, reliable, and derivable at a cost projected to be two orders of magnitude less than current software development methods.