Software reusability

TERM PAPER

Software reusability is generally considered a way to solve the software development crisis. When we solve a problem we try to apply the solution to similar problems because that makes our work easy and simple. Now in this paper I would like to cover important aspects of software reusability. But one thing is for sure software reusability can improve software productivity. Software reuse has become a topic of much interest in the software community due to its potential benefits, which include increased product quality and decreased product cost and schedule. The most substantial benefits derive from a product line approach, where a common set of reusable software assets act as a base for subsequent similar products in a given functional domain. The upfront investments required for software reuse are considerable, and need to be duly considered prior to attempting a software reuse initiative.
1. Introduction

Software reuse is the process of implementing or updating software systems using existing software components. A good software reuse process facilitates the increase of productivity, quality, and reliability, and the decrease of costs and implementation time. An initial investment is required to start a software reuse process, but that investment pays for itself in a few reuses. In short, the development of a reuse process and repository produces a base of knowledge that improves in quality after every reuse, minimizing the amount of development work required for future projects, and ultimately reducing the risk of new projects that are based on repository knowledge..
Types of Reuse
Horizontal reuse

Horizontal reuse refers to software components used across a wide variety of applications. In terms of code assets, this includes the typically envisioned library of components, such as a linked list class, string