Standard metadata applied to software retrieval

This paper discusses the use of standardized bibliographic metadata sets for the retrieval of software components. Their proven success, and the assumption that software components are a sort of dynamic document, leads to the assumption that it could be effective to adopt bibliographic metadata element sets for resource discovery of software components. Stemming from four sets, viz. the Dublin Core, EAD, ISAD(G) and MARC, a metadata element set for software components was constructed. The resulting set, an extended Dublin Core set for software components (XDC-SC), implemented in XML, can be used for component retrieval and thus supports software reuse. A first test was performed with components of the BETADE research group. It demonstrates that the retrieval of software can be addressed in this way, XDC-SC is useful as a source of metadata for software components. XDC-SC could serve as a basis for a standard.