It is often said that software reuse requires changes in traditional software development processes. This article looks at the changes that might be required in the software industry itself if it is to be based on software reuse. We begin by introducing software communities and software clearing houses as the context for large-scale reuse of software components. We next look at issues associated with the packaging, distribution and validation of components. Because software for reuse and proprietary software are somewhat contradictory, we discuss marketing and pricing approaches that attempt to reconcile their opposing requirements. We discuss various forms that software companies may take in an environment of large-scale reuse and look at programmes, such as the European Software and Systems Initiative,1that may have an impact on the formation of such environments.
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