Reusable Software Resources

Without recognition of reusability any discussion of the software resource would be incomplete which is, the reuse and creation of software building blocks [HOO91]. Like building blocks must be catalogued for simple reference standardized for simple application and validated for simple integration.

Bennatan [BEN92] suggests 4 software resource types which should be considered as planning proceeds:

Off-the-shelf components   The Existing software which can be acquired from a third party or that has been established internally for a previous project.  These parts are ready for use on the current project and have been fully validated.

Full-experience components:      The Existing specifications, the designs, the code, or the test date established for past projects that are same to the software to be built for the present project. Members of the present software team have had full experience in the application field represented through these components.   Thus, modifications required for full experience components will be relatively low-risk.

Partial-experience components: The Existing specifications the designs, the code, or the test date established for past projects that are same to the software to be built for the present project but will required substantial modification.  Members of the present software team have only limited experience in the application fields represented through these components. Thus, modifications need for partial experience components have a fair degree of risk.

New Components Software components which must be built through the software team specifically for the requirement of the current project.