W. Pree, Component-Based Software Development: A New Paradigm in Software Engineering, Software Concepts and Tools 18, Springer Verlag 1997, Seite 169 - 174.


Component-based software development is associated with a shift from statement-oriented coding to system building by plugging together components. The idea is not new and some progress has been made over the past decades. Nevertheless, today`s software development practice is still far away from the vision. In recent years, the term componentware has become the vogue in the software engineering community. This paper defines the relevant terms by relating them to the already wellestablished terms of object technology. In particular, the focus lies on a discussion of the deficiencies of the object-oriented paradigm and how componentware might solve these shortcomings. Furthermore, the role of object-oriented frameworks as underlying technology of plug & play software is illustrated. Finally, the paper tries to answer the question of whether some enhancements of the object-oriented paradigm indeed represent the dawn of a new era of software development.

Component-Based Software Development: A New Paradigm in Software Engineering