The reuse of software design and software architecture

In this paper, a method is presented for the reuse of software designs and software architectures. A software design refers to the abstractions and mechanisms that provide the behavior a system or a component requires. A software architecture refers to the organizational structure of a software system or a component. According to this method, a software design can be represented in terms of extended data-flow graphs (EDFGs) and formal specifications. The graphs and the specifications can be organized into a hierarchical structure, representing different levels of abstraction. Such a structure can be easily understood, modified, reconstructed, aiming at varieties of design targets