Self-adaptive software evaluates its own behavior and changes its behavior when the evaluation indicates that the software does not accomplish what it is intended to do or when better functionality or better performance is possible. The self-adaptive approach in software engineering builds on well-known features like the use of errors and the handling of exceptions in languages like Lisp or Java and aims at improving the robustness of software systems by gradually adding new features of self-adaption and autonomity.
This book originates from the First International Workshop on Self-Adaptive Software, IWSAS 2000, held in Oxford, UK in April 2000. The revised full papers presented in the volume together with an introductory survey by the volume editors assess the state of the art in this emerging new field and set the scene for future research and development work.