PMF/GRIP a framework for the development and implementation of reuse models

Abstract

Reuse in software development has received increasing attention over the past three decades from both practitioner and researchers alike. Many reuse models have been proposed, and many reuse projects have been launched with the aim to improve software quality and productivity. Despite reports of reuse successes and a continuing interest in the subject, reuse has not found its way into the mainstream software engineering practice. Already a decade ago reuse experts began to study the gap between reuse theory and practice, and they separated the facts from the myths. It became widely acknowledged that reuse is a complex endeavor, dependant on numerous factors, potentially involving many methods and most notably being influenced by human perception. However, to this day no reuse standard has emerged in the field that would address all of the complexity and at the same time strike a balance between comprehensiveness and applicability. This paper proposes a generic adaptive reuse framework for the incremental development of comprehensive and applicable reuse models. In order to facilitate the use of the framework, it has been embedded into a rudimentary process model, both framework and process model are open for adaptation. An attempt was made to address and manage the complexity of reuse planning, implementation and evaluation.