Component-Based Software Engineering

Traditional software estimation models are directed towards large monolithic software development projects. Contemporary software development practices require a new approach to software cost estimation. Contemporary development practices characterize a software application as interacting, independent components. Component-based development offers many potential benefits such as a greater reuse. Component based software development approach is based on the idea to develop software systems by selecting appropriate off-the shelf components and then to assemble them with a welldefined software architecture. Software community faces a major challenge that is raised by fast growing demand for rapid and cost-effective development and maintenance of large scale and complex software systems. To overcome the challenge, the new trend is to adopt component based software engineering (CBSE).The key difference between CBSE and traditional software engineering is that CBSE views a software system as a set of off-the-shelf components integrated within appropriate software architecture. CBSE promotes large-scale reuse, as it focuses on building software on building software systems by assembling off-the-shelf components rather than implementing the entire system from scratch. CBSE also emphasis on selection and creation of software architecture that allow systems to achieve their quality requirements .As a result, CBSE has introduced fundamental changes in software development and maintenance.