A quantitative framework for software restructuring

Abstract

Software restructuring is the process of re-organizing the logical structure of existing software systems in order to improve particular quality attributes of software products. During design or maintenance, software developers often use intuition, rather than an objective set of criteria, to determine, recapture, or restructure the design of a software system. In this dissertation, we provide a quantitative framework for software restructuring. In the framework, restructuring decisions are guided by visualized design information and quantitative design-level measures. The restructuring process is automated by supporting tools. A set of design-level cohesion and coupling measures provides the objective criteria for comparing alternative design structures. They are derived, compared, and applied in our software restructuring framework. The process insures that restructuring results in measurable and visible improvements in design quality. Applying our framework can result in restructured software systems that are easier to maintain and reuse.