Tool support for tailored software prototyping

Describes several tools that support our research in the emerging area of tailored prototyping. Like any other prototyping approach, tailored prototyping is an experimental activity for reducing a software product's risk of failure. However, it is also a quality assurance approach that challenges developers to ensure that the right prototype is built, the right information is extracted from it, and that these experiences are effectively utilized. In short, the prototyping activity is tailored to project goals as well as to perceived risks. Specifically, we outline the tailored prototyping process, describe several supporting tools made possible by our research in software packaging, multicast communication and dynamic reconfiguration, and illustrate how these tools support tailored prototyping.<<ETX>>