URL: http://www.hpl.hp.com/reuse

Over these years, I have had the opportunity to lead and/or work on three handbook projects, a book on architected reuse and component-based software reuse, and several related projects. These include:

1. A "systematic reuse handbook" workgroup at WISR-4 (Workshop on Institutionalizing Software Reuse) 1991, in which we created an outline and discussed a process for building the handbook, and transferring the knowledge. See wisr91-hand.txt for a summary of this workshop. Several alternate handbook structures were discussed, such as one based on reuse process framework, one based on independent modules, one based on incremental adoption, and one with different sections for different audiences.
2. A reuse handbook for use at HP, started in 1990 and evolved during 1991-1992, incorporating the WISR handbook outline, 1. above. In this project we envisioned a "loose leaf" customizable handbook, in the spirit of some time managers or process handbooks: the idea was that a reuse manager could customize a process handbook for his group, selecting only material germane to the current process, reuse, and architecture maturity of his organization. This handbook was used extensively inside HP in the period 1992 to 1995 to establish reuse pilots as part of a corporate reuse program. A training class to introduce the handbook was prototyped. The experience gained in this work, influence the content and structure of the book I subsequently wrote.
3. An architecture handbook workshop at OOPSLA 1994(?), led by Bruce Anderson. This included a structure for architectural styles, mechanisms, standard architectures and the beginning of design patterns.
4. A book on "Software Reuse: Architecture, Process and Organization for Business Success" with Ivar Jacobson, and Patrik Jonsson[jacobson97].. This book provides a holistic view of model-based component software development (using UML), covering a variety of organizational, management, technical, architectural, process and business issues, in a consistent framework.
5. A web-based reuse process guide, produced as part of a 1996 consulting engagement by the HP PSO (Professional Services Organization) OO and subsequently refined for HP use [griss1997].

My related work on the UML standardization effort, on reuse and process maturity models, on technology transfer for an architected, component based product line at HP, on model-driven management agents, and on software engineering standards, provided the many opportunities for thinking and writing about architecture, components, models, patterns, and knowledge transfer. I have produced many training slides, run workshops, produced many small briefing documents and templates.

I learned a number of things from the various handbook experiences above, which could be valuable in the proposed CBSE handbook effort, and the workshop itself.

Content is of course really important. We have lots of promising technology, methods, and guidelines that can be adapted from the reuse, architecture, OO and patterns community. But too little is taught systematically [bucci98], or practiced widely. As an example, we believe that we have a good understanding of how issues and choices in several areas could influence critical success or failure of architected, component reuse -- CBSE:

A key learning from the HP handbook project, was the tension between size and usability of the handbook (partially addressed by a loose leaf approach). Another was the need to provide customized material to different groups. Another was the difficulty of keeping such a handbook up-to-date. And finally, the difficulty in getting groups to use such handbooks.

Thus an important concern for the handbook effort proposed is to discuss the goals and audiences(s)of the handbook and how we expect it to be used. This will certainly have an impact on the structure of the outline and mechanisms used for customization and adoption, if any.

Some other observations and suggested changes to the strawman outline:

• The preamble specifically mentions engineering handbook. Is the intent to exclude, or segregate management material, perhaps to later produce a management handbook for CBSE? Certainly material on adoption, organization, economics have a large management as well as process content. One idea would be to have a separate management section along with the engineering sections, or for each section to have the managerial implications as well as a technical implications.
• I would separate recommended processes and methods from the adoption section, 2. That is, I would collect managerial and adoption issues in one section, adding material on CBSE and process maturity models, the role of pilots etc.. I would then have a separate section, covering recommended CBSE processes and methods. For example, we should mention domain engineering (e.g., FODA, ODM, Synthesis), Catalysis, Rational Unified process, RSEB, etc., or least integrate these into a recommended CBSE processes for architecture, component design and component use. The CFRP (common framework for reuse process) could provide a useful source of process material. Alternatively, the methods could be considered part of technology or although that is not the current scope of technology in section 3 -- certainly methods and process are more than just notation and modeling languages.
• Section 4, could be more usefully structured to distinguish "best practice", "state-of-the-art", "advanced", "domain-specific" and "research" areas, much in the spirit of the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge [IEEE98].
• It is important to add a reference material, bibliography and some templates and tables.

Martin L. Griss (griss@hpl.hp.com) HP Laboratories, http://www.hpl.hp.com/reuse.

Martin is a Principal Laboratory Scientist in the Software Technology Laboratory at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Palo Alto, California. He has over 30 years of experience in software development, education and research. For the last 16 years at HP, he has researched software engineering processes and systems, systematic software reuse, object-oriented development and software process improvement at HP. He created and led the first HP corporate reuse program and participated in the development and execution of the HP corporate software initiative. He led HP efforts to standardize UML for the OMG, and is a member of the OMG UML revision taskforce. He was previously director of the Software Technology Laboratory at HP Laboratories, and an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Utah.

Martin is co-author of the influential book "Software Reuse: Architecture, Process and Organization for Business Success" (with Ivar Jacobson and Patrik Jonsson), which holistically addresses technology, people and process issues in a UML framework. He writes numerous articles on software engineering and a reuse column for the "Object Magazine/Component Strategies". He lectures widely on systematic reuse and software process improvement. He is a member of the ACM SIGSOFT Executive Committee, and of the joint IEEE/ACM committee on software engineering education and accreditation. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Utah, co-developing component-oriented software engineering courses, and advising on software engineering curriculum design.

• Introduction
• Audience and purpose
• Philosophy and assumptions: definitions, guidelines vs processes, …
• How to use this handbook
• Preparing for a reuse program
• Starting a reuse project
• Work product inventory
• Factors influencing effective reuse
• Maturity models
• Effective adoption
• The reuse process
• Managing the reuse process; planning, organization , economics, metrics, …
• Producing reusable work products: architecture, domain engineering, coding guidelines,…
• Using reusable work products: finding, adapting requirements to match assets, adapting assets to meet requirements
• Supporting reusable work products:: testing, certification, documentation, library issues
• Reference documents
• Working references
• Glossary
• Available resources
• Online templates
• Assessment
• Metrics
• Inventory
• Costing
• Architecture discovery
• Best practice capture
• Domain dictionary
• Indices
• Topics
• Concepts