A method for structural compatibility in software reuse using requirements specification

Software reuse can be attempted at any stage in the life cycle of a software. However, reuse will be more effective at a higher level of abstraction mainly because one can easily understand the functionalities of a reusable component when it is abstractly specified, and can also justify that the component is indeed reusable. A software product can be reused if and only if its structure and behavior are compatible with those of the software that has to be developed. The authors present a method to ensure structural compatibility in software reuse, using formal requirements specification. They also describe algorithms to implement the method, and illustrate the method through a case study. The formal notation Z is used in the paper.