Towards software communities and software clearing houses

It is often said that software reuse requires changes in traditional software development processes. This article looks at the changes that might be required in the software industry itself if it is to be based on software reuse. The authors begin by introducing software communities and software clearing houses as the context for large-scale reuse of software components. They next look at issues associated with the packaging, distribution and validation of components. Because software for reuse and proprietary software are somewhat contradictory, the authors discuss marketing and pricing approaches that attempt to reconcile their opposing requirements. They discuss various forms that software companies may take in an environment of large-scale reuse and look at programmes, such as the European Software and Systems Initiative, that may have an impact on the formation of such environments