A formal model for the reuse of software specifications

Abstract

Numerous software specifications are hidden in large repositories in diffuse organizations. Often, new systems development projects contain parts that may have been previously specified, and systems designers are unable to easily detect the existence of such specifications thereby leading to duplication of efforts. So, an efficient system for finding and incorporating such specification components into new development efforts is desirable. We construct a software robot embedded with some intelligence to search specification repositories for reusable components based on the user's request. This model relies on fuzzy logic and set theory concepts to exploit the tolerance for imprecision and uncertainty to achieve tractability and robustness and low solution cost. This system offers some practical implications for systems developers by enabling the system designer to leverage development resources to the potential maximum and directly reap the benefits of component reusability.