An on-line repository for embedded software

The use of off-the-shelf components (COTS) can significantly reduce the time and cost of developing large-scale software systems. However, there are some difficult problems with the component-based approach. First, the developers have to be able to effectively retrieve components. This requires the developers to have an extensive knowledge of available components and how to retrieve them. After identifying the components, the developers also face a steep learning curve to master the use of these components. We are developing an On-line Repository for Embedded Software (ORES) to facilitate component management and retrieval. In this paper, we address the issues of designing software repository systems to assist users in obtaining appropriate components and learning to understand and use the components efficiently. We use an ontology to construct an abstract view of the organization of the components in ORES. The ontology structure facilitates repository browsing and effective search. We also develop a set of tools to assist with component comprehension, including a tutorial manager and a component explorer