Synopses & Reviews
Software Development
"There are a handful of books that every software engineer, systems analyst, and software manager should have on his or her bookshelf. . . . I'm delighted to say that I can add Don Reifer's Practical Software Reuse as a must-read item to the list."--Ed Yourdon
Wide-scale software reuse is a concept that has been talked about for decades. Now, thanks to object-oriented languages, CASE tools, Java, and other recent technological advances, it can be a reality for most business organizations. But a successful reuse program is more than just a matter of mastering the technology. Some of the greatest obstacles to successful software reuse are managerial, not technical.
Practical Software Reuse is a complete guide to re-engineering your software organization to take full advantage of state-of-the-art reuse methods. Drawing upon his extensive experience in the field, including several years spent heading up the U.S. Department of Defense Software Reuse Initiative, Don Reifer covers all of the technical and management issues vital to transitioning reuse into your organization. With the help of numerous case studies from leading companies and government organizations, he shows you how to:
* Use the latest reuse methods to dramatically cut production time and cost and improve software reliability
* Handle the many organizational, psychological, and business barriers to reuse
* Make the transition to reuse with minimal risks
* Get maximum reuse from off-the-shelf software
* Sell the decision-makers on reuse
* Develop a solid reuse business case and plan
* Take advantage of early adopter experience to put reuse to work for you
Synopsis
The comprehensive guide to software re-engineering and reuse.
Despite the fact that most software uses the same blocks of code over and over again, almost all software is built from the ground up. Just starting to catch on is the idea that these blocks of code can be used as standard components in creating new applications. However, this "assembly line" mentality is foreign to most software developers. Practical Software Reuse shows developers how to take advantage of existing codes to build commercial software faster and cheaper, covering reuse operations, competitive benchmarking, transitioning to the reuse process, utilizing "off-the-shelf" software, and more.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 351-364) and index.
About the Author
DONALD J. REIFER is the principal of Reifer Consultants, leading software engineering advisors to industry and government. Fifteen of his more than 30 years' experience have been devoted to putting software reuse to work in production organizations. His other books include Software Acquisition Management and Software Management Tutorial.
Table of Contents
FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS.
Reuse Vision and Strategy.
Reuse Operational Concepts.
Elements of a Successful Reuse Program.
BUSINESS CASE ANALYSIS.
Competitive Benchmarking.
Business-Case Development.
Business Planning.
OPERATIONAL TRANSITION.
Making the Transition.
Managing the Transition.
Key Reuse Process Areas.
Future Directions.
Special Topics in Software Reuse.
Exercises and Student Projects.
Appendices.
Glossary.
Bibliography.
Index.