Abstract
An efficient scheme of component retrieval can significantly reduce the cost of software reuse. For this purpose, a method of successfully retrieving of specified components from the component repository is a crucial consideration. However, neither the retrieval efficiency, nor the query-matching rate of the traditional method, which is based on a faceted classification scheme, satisfies the requirements of component retrieval. In this paper a novel component retrieval method combining the features of the faceted classification scheme and the theory of tree matching is proposed. This method not only accurately retrieves components that match queries, but also considers any incomplete descriptions of the retrieval component to completely ensure the relaxation ability of the component retrieval. The experimental results show that the retrieval matching method proposed is highly efficient, and it retrieves feasibly and efficiently the components.