Packaging assets for reuse

The use or reuse of software assets can increase productivity, promote proven solutions and consistent architectures, reduce production costs, and save time by eliminating duplication of design efforts. The Object Management Group OMG®Reusable Asset Specification (RAS) documents a consistent and effective method for packaging a software solution and sharing it. This method forms the basis for a good asset-based development (ABD) strategy.

Before you begin

Note: This content applies to version 8.0.2 or earlier.
  • Working in the RAS perspective
    Perspectives define the initial set and layout of views in the Workbench window. The RAS perspective is designed specifically for people working with reusable assets. It provides an editor area and the following views: Asset Explorer, Navigator, Outline, and Properties.
  • Setting artifact descriptor preferences
    The RAS artifact types are used by the RAS importer and the RAS exporter to specify information about a packaged artifact. The description for the artifact type appears in the manifest file for the RAS asset. All previously registered extensions are listed in alphabetical order.
  • Managing RAS assets
    IBM Rational provides a standard for interchange of and access to RAS assets. Repositories provide a way to organize and manage assets so they can be exchanged between developers and coworkers. Once you add a repository to your repository list, you can view, search, inspect, and import the assets in that repository.
  • Importing RAS assets
    Importing a RAS asset is the process of unpacking and restoring the files to a local file or folder or to your workspace.
  • Downloading RAS assets
    Downloading an asset is different from importing because downloading copies the asset archive (.ras) file from a repository to a specified directory on your local file system. In contrast, importing the asset unpacks the asset artifacts and places them into your workspace. If you only want one part of the asset, you should download instead of importing.
  • Exporting to create RAS assets
    You can export an RAS asset to share files for many different purposes.
  • Documenting RAS assets
    Add custom, narrative, or instructional documentation that will appear in the RAS asset manifest file that will be used when a consumer is searching for a specific type of asset.

Example

Using the RAS export capability in IBM® Rational® modeling tools to package assets ensures that all referenced files are automatically captured with the relevant models and projects, documentation, source code, and other development artifacts that you want to share. You can then reuse assets on a casual basis to quickly exchange your development files with a coworker, and you can package assets for complex projects that take months to assemble, document, and organize. The scope of a reusable asset is limited only by your design to meet your customer's needs. Reusable assets can be stored in RAS-based asset repositories. You can search a repository and select assets you need by matching asset keywords and descriptions provided by the asset producers.

What to do next

Related concepts:
RAS assets
Related information:
Tutorials and samples for re-usable assets
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