Software Reuse: Issues and Research Directions

Abstract

Software reuse has been considered as a means to help solve thesoftware development crisis. This paper surveys recent work based onthe broad framework of software reusability research, and suggestsdirections for future research. We address general, technical, and non-technicalissues of software reuse, and conclude that reuse needs to beviewed in the context of a total systems approach. We also envision asoftware system or reuse support system(RSS) that helps document andelucidate existing application systems so that the ideas and designdecisions involved in their creation can be reused either in thecontext of maintenance or when building new systems.