Component-based systems: a classification of issues

Developing and using various component forms as building blocks can significantly enhance software-based system development and use, which is why both the academic and commercial sectors have shown interest in component-based software development. Indeed, much effort has been devoted to defining and describing the terms and concepts involved. Briefly, we describe software components as units of independent production, acquisition, and deployment that interact to form a functional system. We identify a set of issues organized within an overall framework that software developers must address for component-based systems (CBS) to achieve their full potential.