Improving software maintenance by learning from the past: a case study

Although it is common to view software maintenance as an activity that is distinct from software development, it is often true that the development it is often true that the development of novel products is mixed in with the evolution of existing products. Examples are families of similar applications, such as communications processors, that share considerable functionality, and a large scale information system that acts as a base for new tasks. In these situations, the maintenance process involves the adaptation of previous experience to new requirements. The author explores this type of environment, first by examining the software process, and then by relating the key activities to maintenance. An information system case study is used to illustrate how the experience of the past can be structured to facilitate future modifications