Improving software maintenance using system-level reverse engineering

A FORTRAN reverse engineering software package is described which programmatically analyzes existing Fortran source code and generates complete structure charts and module specifications in a CASE environment. The user can also select options to create software trees and a variety of cross-reference tables. The use of these objects can increase programmer productivity by providing system-level details in a manner that can be easily understood. They also aid in the software maintenance process by providing the design baseline for future software modifications and added documentation of the software set. It is pointed out that integrating a system-level reverse engineering utility tool into a CASE environment is just one step toward improving programmer productivity and increasing success in the software maintenance process