A Nontraditional View of the Dimensions of Software Evolution

Software evolution is usually considered in terms of corrections, improvements and enhancements. While helpful, this approach does not take into account the fundamental dimensions of wellengineered software systems (the domains, experience, and process) and how they themselves evolve and affect the evolution of systems for which they are the context. Each dimension is discussed and provided with examples to illustrate its various aspects and to summarize how evolution in that dimension affects system evolution. This holistic approach provides a deep understanding of evolution and how evolution might be effectively managed.