SUPPORTING SEARCH FOR REUSABLE SOFTWARE OBJECTS

Prior research has shown that achieving high levels of software reuse in the presence of repository and object-based computer-aided software engineering (CASE) development methods presents interesting human, ma nagerial and technical challenges. This article presents research that seeks to enhanced software development performance through reuse. We propose automated support for developers who search large repositories for the appropriate reusable software objects. We characterize search for repository objects in terms of a multistage model involving scree ning, identification, and the subsequent choice between new object con struction or reusable object implementation. We propose automated supp ort tools, including ORCA, a software Object Reuse Classification Anal yzer, and AMHYRST, an Automated HYpertext-based Reuse Search Tool, tha t are based on this model. ORCA utilizes a faceted classification appr oach that can be implemented using hypertext. We also describe an aspe ct of AMHYRST's architecture which can automatically create hypertext networks that represent and link objects in terms of a number of disti nguishing features. We illustrate our approach with an example drawn f rom a real world object repository.