EGNILGES@pucc.Princeton.EDU (Ed Nilges) (10/20/88)
I am looking for network discussions on software maintenance. Is there such a group (I've checked the help info, no luck). Or is this a good conference for issues of maintaining software?
mwatkins@hpsmtc1.HP.COM (Marvin L. Watkins) (10/21/88)
> EGNILGES@pucc.Princeton.EDU (Ed Nilges) >I am looking for network discussions on software maintenance. Is ---------- I too would like to see such a discussion.
johnm@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com (John Murray) (10/22/88)
In article <6338@pucc.Princeton.EDU>, EGNILGES@pucc.Princeton.EDU (Ed Nilges) writes: > I am looking for network discussions on software maintenance. ..... Hang around here. The subject'll turn up again sooner or later. - John M.
lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Fish-Guts) (10/24/88)
In article <16090005@hpsmtc1.HP.COM> mwatkins@hpsmtc1.HP.COM (Marvin L. Watkins) writes: >> EGNILGES@pucc.Princeton.EDU (Ed Nilges) >>I am looking for network discussions on software maintenance. Is >---------- >I too would like to see such a discussion. Well, it looks like there is an interest in a discussion on software maintenance. Nobody else has started one yet, so I guess I *could* get the ball rolling...(O.K. I will ;-). One of the interesting developments in the software engineering field as of late is NeXT's choice of bundling an object-oriented C compiler (Objective C) and a nice group of reusable "objects" that programmers can use. NeXT makes the claim that objects are much easier to utilize than the traditional function call interface that most systems offer; a specific example that was given was that using windows in a program is supposedly *much* easier than past windowing programmer-interfaces (and as a programmer on the Amiga, I can see a real need for this sort of thing!). Assuming that it is easier to use the NeXT objects, my question is whether software maintenance with an object-oriented interface is easier than software maintenance with a function-oriented interface? IMHO, I would assume that it is, because objects (at least, very strict objects) package an entire function in one programming "unit," whereas I feel that functions allow for too many interdependencies. Therefore, it would be easier to maintain and upgrade an object because changing a particular aspect of an object is not *as* likely to break other objects. [If anyone needs more clarification on the last point, just ask.] Now, the above is pretty much conjecture on my part. What do you think? .oO Chris Oo.-- Christopher Lishka ...!{rutgers|ucbvax|...}!uwvax!uwslh!lishka Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene lishka%uwslh.uucp@cs.wisc.edu Immunology Section (608)262-1617 lishka@uwslh.uucp ---- "...Just because someone is shy and gets straight A's does not mean they won't put wads of gum in your arm pits." - Lynda Barry, "Ernie Pook's Commeek: Gum of Mystery"
daveb@geaclib.UUCP (David Collier-Brown) (10/26/88)
From article <6338@pucc.Princeton.EDU>, by EGNILGES@pucc.Princeton.EDU (Ed Nilges): > I am looking for network discussions on software maintenance. Is > there such a group (I've checked the help info, no luck). Or is > this a good conference for issues of maintaining software? Well, one fairly important place to look is MIT... There was a seminal work on maintenance and the evolving of large systems done as part of project MAC, which popularized the use of version numbering schemes in Multics and the Arpanet, both of which had to last far longer than the typical application (be it accounting, graphics, spreadsheet or whatever... you can't affort to rewrite operating systems and networks regularly: ask IBM about os/360). Regrettably, i can't remember the **right name** of the paper. Maybe when I get down there next month... --dave (drat! no references!) collier-brown -- David Collier-Brown. | yunexus!lethe!dave Interleaf Canada Inc. | 1550 Enterprise Rd. | HE's so smart he's dumb. Mississauga, Ontario | --Joyce C-B
warren@psu-cs.UUCP (Warren Harrison) (10/31/88)
It's funny someone should ask about software maintenance just now. I just
returned from about a week in Phoenix at the Annual Conference on Software
Maintenance. Anyone seriously interested in maintenance should start with
the proceedings of the last four or five CSMs. They can be ordered from
IEEE (I saw at least the last two proceedings for sale at the conference).
You might also want to check into the Software Maintenance News Newsletter (?)
published by Nicholas Zvegintzov - call 718-816-5522 $30 per year. Not much
research, but well worth teh price to see what the issues seem to be and how
they are being attacked by commercial groups.
Warren Harrison
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Warren Harrison CSNET: warren@pdx.edu
Department of Computer Science UUCP: {ucbvax,decvax}!tektronix!psu-cs!warren
Portland State University Internet: warren%pdx.edu@relay.cs.net
Portland, OR 97207-0751mwatkins@hpsmtc1.HP.COM (Marvin L. Watkins) (11/02/88)
> lishka@uwslh.UUCP (Fish-Guts) (aka Christopher Lishka) > ... , my question >is whether software maintenance with an object-oriented interface is >easier than software maintenance with a function-oriented interface? >IMHO, I would assume that it is, ... ---------- No data points on OO maintenance, BUT ... (... something about you get what you pay for and notes is free ...) During new product design phases, if a feature or requirement doesn't "fit" into the evolving design, engineers are generally *expected* to redesign the structure to create a simple, clean architecture. During released product design (aka maintenance), if a new requirement doesn't "fit" into the existing design, engineers are generally *forbidden* to redesign the structure. (Has everybody here heard the anecdote about the comment "They made me do it!" in an ugly patch?) Presumably, restructuring during early design is good but during late design is bad. Leaving aside all the fun comments one could make here, I paraphrase lishka's question as, "Which design method produces programs that can have new features introduced without major modification to their existing structure?" My guess? OOD.
madhav@Neon.Stanford.EDU (Neel Madhav) (07/11/90)
This is a request for references which introduce the field of software maintenance. I am looking for papers/books which survey the field from a technical viewpoint. Visits to the library produced an abundance of material which is difficult to sift through. Therefore, I am looking for one or two references. Thank You, Neel Madhav madhav@cs.stanford.edu -- Neel Madhav E-mail: madhav@cs.stanford.edu (415)-723-1089 (O)
jfoster@axion.bt.co.uk (John Foster) (07/11/90)
From article <1990Jul11.000653.7802@Neon.Stanford.EDU>, by madhav@Neon.Stanford.EDU (Neel Madhav): > This is a request for references which introduce the field > of software maintenance. I am looking for papers/books which > survey the field from a technical viewpoint. > Visits to the library produced an abundance of material which is > difficult to sift through. Therefore, I am looking for one > or two references. You could try: Parikh, G. and Zvegintzov, N. "Tutorial on Software Maintenance" IEEE Computer Society Press, 1983 A collection of papers on the subject, plus an annotated bibliography. Parikh, G. "Discovering the World of Software Maintenance: Selected Readings" ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes Vol 10 no 5, Oct 1985 IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering Vol 13 no 3, Mar 1987 Special section on software maintenance, including "The State of Software Maintenance" by Norman Schneidewind Also issues of: Journal of Software Maintenance: Research and Practice published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd, Baffins Lane, Chichester, Sussex PO19 1UD, England. Hope this helps | John Foster, RT3151, Room G44C, SSTF, British Telecom Research Labs, | | Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, IP5 7RE, UK. | | Phone: +44 473 646019 Fax: +44 473 643019 Telex: 987137 |
warren@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Warren Harrison) (07/11/90)
In article <1990Jul11.000653.7802@Neon.Stanford.EDU> madhav@Neon.Stanford.EDU (Neel Madhav) writes: >This is a request for references which introduce the field >of software maintenance. I am looking for papers/books which >survey the field from a technical viewpoint. There is an IEEE Tutorial on Software Restructuring edited by Bob Arnold which is quite good. It obvioulsy only focuses on one aspect of maintenance, but it is an important aspect (I think) of maintenance. Warren ========================================================================== Warren Harrison warren@cs.pdx.edu Department of Computer Science 503/725-3108 Portland State University