What is flexibility in software engineering?

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Flexibility: The ease with which a system or component can be

modified for use in applications or environments other than those

for which it was specifically designed We find this surprising

because hardly any artefact is ‘flexible’ in absolute terms. The

RAM capacity of a desktop computer, for example, can be expanded

only if the hardware and the operating system were specifically

designed to accommodate for such changes.

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Rapid technological developments pervade every aspect of daily

life, having a direct effect on the software we use. Every element

of the software’s operational environment is in a state of constant

flux: Frequent changes in the hardware, operating system,

cooperating software, and client’s expectations are motivated by

performance improvements, bug-fixes, security breaches, and

attempts to assemble synergistically ever more sophisticated

software systems. Classic and contemporary literature in software

design recognize the central role of flexibility in software design

and implementation. Structured design, modular design,

object-oriented design, software architecture, design patterns, and

component-based software engineering, among others, seek to

maximize flexibility.