Some research directions for large-scale software development

We describe a collection of research efforts aimed at increasing software productivity and quality. Some projects seek to understand and improve the process of efficiently creating, controlling, and assembling the products of software development (i.e., software and documentation). In these areas, the problems relate to the complexity of managing communications among a software product's elements (including people) and of managing many versions of the product, each at a different stage of its life cycle. To address these goals, several research projects provide more supportive languages and programming environments for building pieces of a product, or make available more powerful software development environments for integrating these units into a system or product. Other approaches, aimed at tools and concepts that change prevailing software life cycles, include automating the creation of software. Results of research in this direction suggest potential for dramatic improvements in productivity and quality.