Traceability between Software Artifacts

The task of maintaining the quality and consistency of artifacts throughout a software project can be more effective with the use of the traceability concept. However the creation of consistent tracks throughout a project is such a complex task that it is often left aside. Techniques such as automatic retrieval and traceability matrix present limitations. This work proposes and evaluates an approach that consists in allowing the creation of traces in an inductive way along the development of the project''s artifacts. Studies with a CASE tool have shown encouraging results indicating that the technique can significantly improve productivity. The productivity is evaluated through the number of traces correctly created by the developer within the same time limit when compared to traditional techniques.