Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!purdue!rjh
From: rjh@cs.purdue.EDU (Bob Hathaway)
Newsgroups: comp.sw.components
Subject: Re: Scope of new newsgroup: comp.sw.components
Message-ID: <6718@medusa.cs.purdue.edu>
Date: 6 May 89 15:11:32 GMT
References: <7885@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
Sender: news@cs.purdue.EDU
Reply-To: rjh@cs.purdue.edu (Bob Hathaway)
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University
Lines: 24

In article <7885@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> garry@larch.cadif.cornell.edu writes:
>In a recent article wtwolfe@hubcap.clemson.edu (Bill Wolfe) wrote:
>> $ This newsgroup will facilitate discussions about software components
>> $ and their design, implementation, and utilization...
>
>What, pray tell, is a "software component"? (A library "tool"? A subroutine?
>A flowchart? An algorithm? A programmer?) I have not encountered this
>term of computer jargon before...
>
>garry wiegand   (garry@larch.cadif.cornell.edu - my "Reply-To", not my "From"!)

Grady Booch's `SOFTWARE COMPONENTS WITH Ada - Structures, tools, and Subsystems'
provides a taxonomy which seems to be a reasonable starting point for 
defining components, and reusable design components and common subprograms 
could provide a useful addition to the taxonomy as well.  Is anyone aware of 
better alternatives?

I've seen a lot of talk about storing and retrieving components and it seems
that Booch's naming scheme is appropriate for keywords in a database search.
Are there any plans for an automated components database that may arise soon
out of this newsgroup?

Bob
rjh@purdue.edu