The term "re-engineering" in software engineering refers to the process of redesigning or restructuring an existing software system to modernize, improve, or better adapt it to new requirements. It usually involves reverse engineering to understand the current system, followed by reworking and redevelopment to make the system more efficient, scalable, and maintainable.
Typical software functions in the area of "re-engineering":
- Code Refactoring: Restructuring the source code to improve readability and maintainability without changing its external functionality.
- Architecture Redesign: Redesigning the system architecture to improve scalability and performance.
- Technology Modernization: Replacing outdated technologies with more modern and efficient frameworks, programming languages, or platforms.
- Documentation Generation: Creating or updating technical documentation based on the new system structure.
- Test Generation and Automation: Developing automated tests to ensure that the re-engineered software performs its intended functions correctly.
- Data Migration: Transferring data from older systems into modernized data structures or databases.
- Integration of New Features: Adding new functionalities or modules that are better aligned with current business requirements.
Examples of "re-engineering":
- Modernization of a Legacy System: A company decides to re-engineer an old system by porting it to a modern platform.
- Code Restructuring for Better Maintainability: A development team performs re-engineering to simplify and optimize the code of an existing system.
- Migration to a Cloud Architecture: An old on-premise system is re-engineered and moved to a cloud-based infrastructure.
- Improving System Performance: Re-engineering optimizes the architecture of a system to achieve better performance and scalability.
- Extending a System for New Business Requirements: A company uses re-engineering to extend existing software solutions with new features that meet current market demands.