Survival of software reuse: Node.js packages component selection and dependencies

Abstract

Software reuse is a widely recognized and extensively studied practice in the field of software engineering. It involves using pre-existing software components to enhance productivity and efficiency. Node.js and its package manager enable software reuse by managing dependencies. Dependencies play a crucial role in defining the connections and interactions between various components of a software system. The selection of components and their interactions can greatly impact the functionality, performance, and stability of a software system. Overlooking these factors or making poor choices regarding component selection may lead to incomplete or flawed systems. Various factors that impact the decision-making process for selecting components were discussed, including documentation availability, crowdsourcing initiatives, and GitHub activities.