Applying a reusable framework for software selection

With increasing use of component-based development (CBD), the process for selecting software from repositories is a critical concern for quality systems development. As support for developers blending in-house and third party software, the context-driven component evaluation (CdCE) process provides a three-phase approach to software selection: filtering to a short list, functional evaluation and ranking. The process was developed through iterative experimentation on real-world data. CdCE has tool support to generate classifier models, shortlists and test cases as artefacts that provide for a repeatable, transparent process that can be reused as the system evolves. Although developed for software component selection, the CdCE process framework can be easily modified for other selection tasks by substituting templates, tools, evaluation criteria and/or repositories. In this article the authors describe the CdCE process and its development, the CdCE framework as a reusable pattern for software selection and provide a case study where the process is applied.