As the title implies, this book examines software automation, or CASE, from three perspectives: re-engineering, the repository, and reusability. In the opinion of the author, these are the key enabling technologies that will allow corporations to take full advantage of the benefits of CASE. Accordingly, this book is divided into three sections, each devoted to an enabling technology.

Section 1 addresses re-engineering. The first two chapters are primarily a review of earlier studies that have provided statistics on the impact and role of software maintenance. Using these studies, the author concludes that developed software should be considered an asset. As an asset, this investment should be protected through maintenance.

With software maintenance positioned as a central theme of software automation, the re-engineering discussion continues with a definition of re-engineering as “the application of the newest tools and technologies to software maintenance.” Following this definition, the author discusses types of re-engineering--analysis, restructuring, reverse engineering, and migration. She next considers types of re-engineering tools--program analyzers, metrics, restructuring tools, translators, reverse engineering tools, change/configuration managers, and redocumentation tools. Chapter 9 concludes the re-engineering section with three case studies. These case studies demonstrate the use of three different re-engineering technologies: creation and use of a maintenance workbench, use of reverse engineering tools, and use of restructuring tools.

Section 2 discusses the repository. First, the basic concepts of the repository are presented, including its benefits and its informational contents. McClure then explores distributed and centralized repository architectures, characteristics of DEC’s CCD/Repository and IBM’s Repository Manager/MVS, and standards, including CDIF, IRDS, SAA, ATIS, ODF, POSIX, and PCTE.

The discussion of reusability commences with a case study of GTE Data Services. This study reinforces the idea that existing software is an asset that can be reused across multiple applications. This reuse concept is carried into the realm of software packages, where the pitfalls of application packages are discussed. Contrasted with standard application packages are several vendors’ ventures into higher-level reusable components:

• “frame components” from NETRON/CAP,

• “designware” from Arthur Andersen,

• “templates” from Texas Instruments, and

• “cliches” from MIT.

As a reference work and survey, this book hits the mark. The section on re-engineering is particularly good, with some interesting statistics that suggest the future of software maintenance. The case studies reinforce the chapter contents. For readers who wish to research topics in more detail, references are provided at the end of each chapter.