Annotated Bibliogrpahy on Software Maintenance
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Computer Science and Technology NBS Special Publication 500-141 Annotated Bibliography on Software IVIaintenance Wilma M. Osborne and Ron Raigrodski . M he National Bureau of Standards' was established by an act of Congress on March 3, 1901. The m Bureau's overall goal is to strengthen and advance the nation's science and technology and facilitate their effective application for public benefit. To this end, the Bureau conducts research and provides: (1) a basis for the nation's physical measurement system, (2) scientific and technological services for industry and government, (3) a technical basis for equity in trade, and (4) technical services to promote public safety. The Bureau's technical work is performed by the National Measurement Laboratory, the National Engineering Laboratory, the Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology, and the Institute for Materials Science and Engineering The National Measurement Laboratory Provides the national system of physical and chemical measurement; • Basic Standards^ coordinates the system with measurement systems of other nations and • Radiation Research furnishes essentiaJ services leading to accurate and uniform physical and • Chemical Physics chemical measurement throughout the Nation's scientific community, in- • Analytical Chemistry dustry, and commerce; provides advisory and research services to other Government agencies; conducts physical and chemical research; develops, produces, and distributes Standard Reference Materials; and provides calibration services. The Laboratory consists of the following centers: 77?^ National Engineering Laboratory Provides technology and technical services to the public and private sectors to Applied Mathematics address national needs and to solve national problems; conducts research in Electronics and Electrical engineering and applied science in support of these efforts; builds and main- Engineering^ tains competence in the necessary disciplines required to carry out this Manufacturing Engineering research and technical service; develops engineering data and measurement Building Technology capabilities; provides engineering measurement traceability services; develops Fire Research test methods and proposes engineering standards and code changes; develops Chemical Engineering^ and proposes new engineering practices; and develops and improves mechanisms to transfer results of its research to the ultimate user. The Laboratory consists of the following centers: The Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology Conducts research and provides scientific and technical services to aid • Programming Science and Federal agencies in the selection, acquisition, application, and use of com- Technology puter technology to improve effectiveness and economy in Government • Computer Systems operations in accordance with Public Law 89-306 (40 U.S.C. 759), relevant Engineering Executive Orders, and other directives; carries out this mission by managing the Federal Information Processing Standards Program, developing Federal ADP standards guidelines, and managing Federal participation in ADP voluntary standardization activities; provides scientific and technological ad- visory services and assistance to Federal agencies; and provides the technical foundation for computer-related policies of the Federal Government. The In- stitute consists of the following centers: The Institute for Materials Science and Engineering Conducts research and provides measurements, data, standards, reference Ceramics ^ materials, quantitative understanding and other technical information funda- Fracture and Deformation mental to the processing, structure, properties and performance of materials; Polymers addresses the scientific basis for new advanced materials technologies; plans Metallurgy research around cross-country scientific themes such as nondestructive Reactor Radiation evaluation and phase diagram development; oversees Bureau-wide technical programs in nuclear reactor radiation research and nondestructive evalua- tion; and broadly disseminates generic technical information resulting from its programs. The Institute consists of the following Divisions: 'Headquarters and Laboratories at Gaithersburg, MD, unless otherwise noted; mailing address Gaithersburg, MD 20899. ^Some divisions within the center are located at Boulder, CO 80303. ^Located at Boulder, CO, with some elements at Gaithersburg, MD. NBS RESEARCH INFORMATION Computer Science CENTER and Technology QCloo NBS Special Publication 500-141 Annotated Bibliography on Software Maintenance Wilma M. Osborne and Ron Raigrodski Center for Programming Science and Technology Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology National Bureau of Standards Gaithersburg, MD 20899 September 1986 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Malcolm Baldrige, Secretary National Bureau of Standards Ernest Ambler, Director Reports on Computer Science and Technology The National Bureau of Standards has a special responsibility within the Federal Government for computer science and technology activities. The programs of the NBS Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology are designed to provide ADP standards, guidelines, and technical advisory services to improve the effectiveness of computer utilization in the Federal sector, and to perform appropriate research and development efforts as foundation for such activities and programs. This publication series will report these NBS efforts to the Federal computer community as well as to interested specialists in the academic and private sectors. Those wishing to receive notices of publications in this series should complete and return the form at the end of this publication. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 86-600579 National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 500-141 Natl. Bur. Stand. (U.S.), Spec. Publ. 500-141, 138 pages (Sept. 1986) CODEN: XNBSAV U.S. Government Printing Office Washington: 1986 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGEIAPHY ON SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE Institute for Computer Sciences and Technology- National Bureau Of Standards Gaithersburg, MD 20899 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is the result of the untiring efforts of a number of individuals. Special thanks to Monica Holman, who spent many hours reviewing computer books, journals, and news articles, and to Bonnie Smith, Debbie Jackson, and Sharon Federline for their assistance in the data entry of this material . The dedicated efforts of these individuals helped to make this report possible. ABSTRACT This annotated bibliography contains summaries of two hundred and eighty- five software maintenance articles or papers from computer science journals, books, proceedings. Federal publications, computer newspapers, and other technical reports. It covers a fifteen year period between 1972 and 1986, and presents an overview of the various aspects of software maintenance including problems and issues faced in most software maintenance environments. It identifies techniques, procedures, methodologies, and tools that have been effectively employed throughout the software system lifecycle to improve the quality of that system. Key words: documentation, metrics, productivity, programmers, software configuration management (SCM) , software errors, software lifecycle, software maintenance cost, software packages, software quality, techniques, testing, tools, users. iv INTRODUCTION This annotated bibliography contains summaries of two hundred and eighty- five software maintenance articles or papers from computer science journals, books, proceedings. Federal publications, computer newspapers, and other technical reports. It covers a fifteen year period between 1972 and 1986, and presents an overview of the various aspects of software maintenance including management and technical issues faced in most software maintenance environments. It identifies techniques, procedures, methodologies, and tools that have been effectively employed throughout the software system lifecycle to improve the quality of that system. The abstracts or summaries describe factors to be considered whether planning to make a software change or ensuring that the change has been properly and correctly incorporated. Many of the summaries suggest actions and procedures that can help software maintenance organizations satisfy the growing demands of maintaining existing systems . Others suggest steps that can be taken to improve the quality and maintainability of the code during development. Still others describe activities found to be effective in reducing the cost and difficulty of software maintenance. This bibliography provides a comprehensive collection of information on how many organizations handle the software maintenance process and the associated problems. It contains information based on case studies and actual applications from software maintenance organizations in Government and industry, as well as material from the software engineering research community. It is intended as a basic reference for Federal ADP managers and software maintainers with responsibility for lifecycle software quality and maintainability, as well as for researchers, practitioners, and vendors of software maintenance tools. A consistent theme throughout this bibliography is that there is an increasing need for effective management control over the software engineering process throughout the software system lifecycle. V . The following cross reference is provided to aid in searching for articles on a specific