Software Reuse in the Evolution of an E-Commerce System: A Case Study

The engineering and reengineering of software interfaces between dissimilar systems is a process that is constantly evolving with respect to the techniques applied and the lessons learned from their use. While many strategies and models for such development exist today, there are times that no single defined approach appropriately fits the requirement for all real-world situations. This is particularly true of the integration and sharing of data among modern e-commerce software systems and large, mature multi-channel legacy systems. This paper details the initial and subsequent evolutions of one such e-commerce software interface. Lessons learned from each evolution were used to improve upon the next, ultimately resulting in a highly maintainable and scalable product.