Re Engineering

The ReverseAndReengineeringTaxonomy defines reengineering as:

the examination and alteration of a subject system to reconstitute it in a new form and the subsequent implementation of the new form.

It is often presented as consisting of three steps, involving

• ReverseEngineering -> ReStructuring -> ForwardEngineering

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This definition is not very precise and restrictive: as a result, even ProgramCompilation fits in. It would be more accurate to insist that the new form is at the same or a higher level of abstraction as the original subject system -- conform the ReStructuring definition in which the level of abstraction remains the same.

-- ArieVanDeursen, 04 Aug 2002

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Relevant reengineering topics:

• AutomaticRetargeting
• SoftwareRenovation
• ProgramRefactoring
• ReengineeringPatterns
• ExchangeFormats

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Resources:

• ReengineeringForum
• CSMR
• WCRE
• ReengineeringMailingList
• BadHonnefReengineeringWorkshop

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E. J. Byrne (A Conceptual Foundation for Software Re-Engineering, ICSM 1992, pp. 226-235) has proposed a model for reengineering distinguishing three steps:

1. ReverseEngineering
2. ReStructuring
3. ForwardEngineering

which he visualizes using the following figure:

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The SEI Horseshoe Model is similar to Byrne's model, and takes a SoftwareArchitecture perspecitve on reengineering:

See http://www.sei.cmu.edu/reengineering/

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CategoryReengineeringPages | CategoryReengineeringWiki | Contributions by ArieVanDeursen