Integrating active information delivery and reuse repository systems

ABSTRACT

Although software reuse can improve both the quality and productivity of software development, it will not do so until software developers stop believing that it is not worth their effort to find a component matching their current problem. In addition, if the developers do not anticipate the existence of a given component, they will not even make an effort to find it in the first place.

Even the most sophisticated and powerful reuse repositories will not be effective if developers don't anticipate a certain component exists, or don't deem it worthwhile to seek for it. We argue that this crucial barrier to reuse is overcome by integrating active information delivery, which presents information without explicit queries from the user, and reuse repository systems. A prototype system, CodeBroker, illustrates this integration and raises several issues related to software reuse.

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Index Terms

• Human-centered computing

  • Human computer interaction (HCI)

    • Interaction paradigms

  • Interaction design

    • Interaction design process and methods

      • User centered design

• Software and its engineering

  • Software creation and management

    • Designing software

      • Software implementation planning

        • Software design techniques

    • Software development process management

      • Software development methods

    • Software development techniques

      • Reusability

  • Software notations and tools

    • Development frameworks and environments

      • Integrated and visual development environments

    • Software libraries and repositories