CFP: TAPOS special issue on object-oriented software evolution and re-engineering

CFP: TAPOS special issue on object-oriented software evolution and re-engineering

[Eduardo Casais]

Call For Papers  

                      TAPOS Special Issue on

                     Object-Oriented Software
                   Evolution and Reengineering

                          Guest Editors: 
               Eduardo Casais & Antero Taivalsaari
                       Nokia Research Center


Nowadays, software development is being increasingly viewed as the
process of creating families of systems that fulfill the needs of 
widely different markets and can accommodate numerous function
enhancements over time. 

Object-oriented programming has often been promoted as the most 
effective approach to build inherently flexible software. However, 
the indiscriminate use of object-oriented mechanisms and weaknesses 
in design methods result in software exhibiting poor flexibility and
adaptability. Early adopters of object-orientation are already facing
the problem of managing the evolution of large, long-lived systems with
little methodological or tool support. Given the pace at which all
economic sectors are taking up object-orientation, re-engineering object
oriented systems is becoming a strategical consideration for companies
that rely extensively on this technology. 

The number of contributions and the attendance observed at the OOPSLA'96
workshop on object-oriented software evolution and re-engineering 
demonstrates that software evolution and re-engineering is emerging as
an important topic in the object-oriented community (for the position 
papers and the workshop report, see http://www.nokia.com/oopsla96ws18).
The special issue will thus bring timely information about experiences
and advances in this field to object-oriented software engineers and
project managers.

The goal of the special issue is to raise the awareness of the darker 
side of object-oriented technology, and to bring forth solutions and 
ideas for the management and evolution of mature, large-scale object
oriented systems. Issues to be covered in the special issue include: 

1. 	experience with object-oriented legacy systems: reusability,
	integration and documentation; re-engineering of first-generation
	object-oriented systems into reusable frameworks; 

2. 	methodological issues and solutions: documentation of evolving
	object-oriented systems; analysis of object-oriented systems with
	respect to flexibility; development of families of systems and 
	reusable framework architectures. 

3.	tools: class library reorganization algorithms and tools; re(verse)
        engineering and refactoring environments. 

Experience reports on the evolution of large object-oriented systems 
in production environments, as well as practical approaches and case 
studies on reengineering such object-oriented systems are particularly 
welcome. In general, original material and novel contributions will be 
given preference. 

Papers covering the aforementioned issues should be sent to the special 
issue editors at the address below by January 15, 1997. 

The contributions have to comply with the TAPOS submission guidelines
described in the TAPOS call for papers. For more information on TAPOS, 
see http://www.wiley.com/Compbooks/object/index.html. 

Send your submissions and other correspondence to:

       Eduardo Casais / Antero Taivalsaari
       Nokia Research Center
       P.O. Box 45
       00211 Helsinki
       FINLAND

       E-mail: casais@research.nokia.com
       Telephone: +358 9 4376 6917
       Telefax: +358 9 4376 6308