Method and apparatus for detecting a lower level software reusable product in generating an upper level software product from a lower level software product and changing the upper level software product

摘要

A reverse engineering method for supporting software reuse in generating an upper level software product from a lower level software product allowing the reuse of some software product's among multi-level software products ranging from an upper level data flow to a lower level job flow. The method includes the steps of: generating an upper level software product using a lower level software product; generating relational information between the lower and upper level software products; inputting a request for changing the upper level software product via an input/output interface; changing the upper level software product in response to the change request; and detecting a reusable field of the lower level software product which is not to be changed, in response to a change of the upper level software product. A pair of the lower level software product and the upper level software product comprise an internal design and an external design which is higher in level than coded programs and an external design and detailed requirements a user supplied. Information representative of a reusable field with no change and a field that is not reusable which requires a change of the lower level software product, may be provided. The information is obtained by comparing the upper level software product with the lower level software product.