Domain-Retargetable Reverse Engineering

Any response to the software maintenance challenge must address the underlying problem of program understanding. One way of doing this is through reverse engineering. A successful approach to reverse engineering must be both exible and scalable. Most reverse engineering tools provide a xed palette of analysis, extraction, organization, representation, and selection techniques. This paper describes a userprogrammable approach to reverse engineering. The approach uses a scripting language that enables users to write their own routines for these activities, making the system domain-retargetable. The environment supported by this programmable approach subsumes existing reverse engineering systems by being able to simulate facets of each one, and provides a smooth transition from semi-automatic to automatic reverse engi-