Detailed instructions of usage: download

How should i start using the reuse service?

First you should consider some serious issues:

  1. Decide which search engine you will use
    • Pattern-Based Search Engine. Provides a set of classes that are based on well documented design solutions, i.e. design patterns. Thus, they are considered to be as highly understandable components. Perfect for white-box reuse.
    • Dependencies-Based Engine. Provides a set of classes with the minimum number of external dependencies. Thus, they are considered to be easily compilable components. Perfect for black-box reuse.
  2. Select some keywords that describe the desired functionality.
  3. Decide if you want to search in class names or a description of the classes (methods and attributes). Remember that searching in class names is faster, but in the common case provide less results.
  4. Browse the reults and identify the component that fit your needs.
  5. Download the proposed classes, from the homepage of the Open Source Project.

I have used several keywords, but the results are not satisfying. What can I do?

  • Try narrowing your searching space into the domain that you are planing to use the component.
  • Place additional keywords using the AND logical expression
  • Place an space after the selected keyword in order to identify the keyword only as a complete word, and not as a part of it

Why should i search Percerons and not other code searching engines?

  • Percerons does not retrieve only a class that fits the search criteria.
  • Percerons retrive components that have been statically analyzed. Thus, the result set either contains documented code (i.e. design patterns) or code that is easily compiled (i.e. minimum external dependencies).
  • Percerons is based on academic research on open source, design patterns, structural quality and reuse.