ABSTRACT
Before a developer can write a program using reusable components, the components to be reused must be obtained. A reuse library will not be used effectively, if it is not relatively easy for its users to retrieve the desired information from it. Users must be allowed to be flexible in how they search for information. If the library is searched with a specification or partial specification of the required component, then the system should be able to determine how much of that specification can be met by copying and combining existing items from the library, in an ideal case at least. In a situation where the library does not contain the desired information on a particular topic, the user should be able to browse for and examine any possibly related components in the library (see Figure 7.1 Flexible Searching).
