Software reengineering in Software Engineering - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is software reengineering?

Software reengineering is the process of examining and altering an existing software system to improve it, fix problems, or adapt it to new requirements without completely rewriting it from scratch.

beginner

Name one main goal of software reengineering.

One main goal is to improve software maintainability, making it easier to update, fix, or extend the software in the future.

intermediate

What is reverse engineering in the context of software reengineering?

Reverse engineering means analyzing the existing software to understand its components and design, often by extracting information from the code or documentation.

intermediate

List one common activity involved in software reengineering.

One common activity is code restructuring, which means reorganizing the code to improve clarity and reduce complexity without changing its behavior.

beginner

Why is software reengineering important for legacy systems?

Legacy systems may be outdated or hard to maintain. Reengineering helps update them to work better with new technologies and meet current needs without starting over.

What does software reengineering primarily aim to do?

A Only fix hardware issues

B Create new software from scratch

C Improve existing software without complete rewrite

D Delete old software permanently

Software reengineering focuses on improving or adapting existing software rather than building new software from zero.

Which process involves understanding software by analyzing its code or design?

A Forward engineering

B Reverse engineering

C Code deployment

D Software testing

Reverse engineering is the process of analyzing existing software to understand its structure and design.

Which of the following is NOT a typical activity in software reengineering?

A Hardware installation

B Code restructuring

C Documentation updating

D Data migration

Hardware installation is unrelated to software reengineering, which focuses on software improvements.

Why might a company choose software reengineering over building new software?

A To save time and cost by improving existing software

B Because new software is always worse

C To avoid any changes to software

D To delete all old data

Reengineering can be more efficient and cost-effective than creating new software from scratch.

What is a legacy system?

A A hardware device

B A brand new software

C A software that never worked

D An outdated or old software system still in use

Legacy systems are older software systems that may be outdated but are still used by organizations.

Explain what software reengineering is and why it is useful.

Think about how old software can be improved without starting over.

Describe the role of reverse engineering in software reengineering.

Consider how you learn about a system before changing it.

Practice

1. What is the main goal of software reengineering?

easy

A. To create new software from scratch

B. To increase the number of software users

C. To delete outdated software permanently

D. To improve old software for easier maintenance and extension

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of software reengineering

   Software reengineering focuses on improving existing software, not creating new software or deleting it.

2. Step 2: Identify the main benefit

   The main benefit is making old software easier to maintain and extend.

3. Final Answer:

   To improve old software for easier maintenance and extension -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Software reengineering = Improve old software [OK]

Hint: Focus on improving existing software, not creating new [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing reengineering with new software development
• Thinking it means deleting software
• Assuming it increases user base directly

2. Which of the following is a common step in software reengineering?

easy

A. Analyzing and restructuring existing code

B. Writing new software without reviewing old code

C. Deleting all old documentation

D. Ignoring software bugs

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify typical reengineering activities

   Reengineering involves analyzing and restructuring existing code to improve it.

2. Step 2: Eliminate incorrect options

   Writing new software without review, deleting documentation, or ignoring bugs are not part of reengineering.

3. Final Answer:

   Analyzing and restructuring existing code -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Reengineering step = Analyze and restructure code [OK]

Hint: Look for options about improving existing code [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing options about creating new software
• Ignoring the importance of analysis
• Confusing reengineering with software removal

3. Consider a software system that is outdated but still valuable. Which reengineering approach is most suitable?

medium

A. Software reverse engineering and restructuring

B. Complete rewrite from scratch

C. Ignoring the system and building a new one

D. Deleting the system immediately

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the system condition

   The system is outdated but valuable, so it should be improved, not discarded.

2. Step 2: Choose the best reengineering approach

   Reverse engineering and restructuring help understand and improve the existing system without starting over.

3. Final Answer:

   Software reverse engineering and restructuring -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Outdated but valuable = Reverse engineering [OK]

Hint: Use reverse engineering for valuable outdated software [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing complete rewrite which is costly
• Ignoring the system instead of improving
• Deleting valuable software

4. A developer tries to reengineer software but skips analyzing the existing code. What is the likely problem?

medium

A. The software will be deleted

B. The reengineering will miss important design issues

C. The software will run faster without analysis

D. The software will automatically improve

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of code analysis in reengineering

   Analyzing existing code helps find design problems and areas to improve.

2. Step 2: Predict consequences of skipping analysis

   Without analysis, important issues remain hidden, causing poor reengineering results.

3. Final Answer:

   The reengineering will miss important design issues -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Skip analysis = Miss design issues [OK]

Hint: Never skip code analysis in reengineering [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming software improves automatically
• Thinking skipping analysis speeds software
• Confusing deletion with reengineering

5. You have a legacy software with duplicated code and outdated modules. Which reengineering strategy best improves maintainability?

hard

A. Adding more duplicated code for backup

B. Deleting all old modules without replacement

C. Refactoring duplicated code and modularizing outdated parts

D. Ignoring the code quality and adding new features

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify problems in legacy software

   Duplicated code and outdated modules reduce maintainability and increase errors.

2. Step 2: Choose reengineering strategy to improve maintainability

   Refactoring removes duplication and modularizing updates old parts, making maintenance easier.

3. Final Answer:

   Refactoring duplicated code and modularizing outdated parts -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Fix duplication + modularize = better maintainability [OK]

Hint: Refactor duplicates and modularize outdated code [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Deleting modules without replacement
• Adding more duplicated code
• Ignoring code quality issues