Difference between Forward Engineering and Reverse Engineering

Differences Software Engineering Software & Coding

Both Forward and Reverse Engineering are related to the re-implementation of the legacy systems to achieve more sustainability. On the basis of the mode of creation, we can classify these modes as Forward and Reverse Engineering. Read this article to learn more about forward engineering and reverse engineering and how these two approaches are different from each other.

What is Forward Engineering?

Forward Engineering is the mode of development of an application in which the development is done on the basis of given requirements from the client or consumer.

In forward engineering, the requirements are provided before the development of the application. In simple words, forward engineering is the mode of creation in which the application is developed with provided information from the customer.

Since forward engineering involves the actual development of the software application, it requires high skills and more time. Forward engineering is prescriptive in nature.

What is Reverse Engineering?

Reverse Engineering is the mode of development in which the development is executed on the basis of requirements gathered from the developed application or the changes or enhancements that are provided from the client or consumer. In other words, in revere engineering, the information is obtained from a given application. It is also known as backward engineering.

Since it does not require principles of software engineering, it needs less proficiency, skills, and less time. Examples of reverse engineering includes research and development work which could get implemented in an existing application.

Difference between Forward Engineering and Reverse Engineering

The following are the main differences between both of the Engineering −

Key	Forward Engineering	Reverse Engineering
Definition	Forward Engineering is the mode of creation or development in which the development is done on the basis of given requirements from client/consumer. In this the requirements are provide prior to the development of the application.	On other hand Reverse Engineering is the mode of creation or development in which the development is done on the basis of requirements gathered from the developed application or the changes/enhancements that are provided from the client/consumer.
Execution Time	The application is to be developed from scratch and all approaches and planning need to be done before actual development get stared so it requires more time as compared to that in Reverse Engineering.	Reverse Engineering takes less time to develop an application as only modification and enhancements need to developed instead of core functionality of the application.
Proficiency Skill	The application need to be developed from scratch so high skill proficiency is need to decide approaches and development planning in case of Forward Engineering.	In Reverse Engineering, low or medium skill proficiency is also sufficient.
Nature	The nature of Forward Engineering is Perspective.	Reverse Engineering is Adaptive in nature.
Example	Example of Forward Engineering could be any newly developing application or system that is started or about to start based on given requirements.	Reverse engineering includes mainly research and RND work which could get implemented in the already developed application or system for providing more efficient performance with more functionality.

Conclusion

The most significant difference that you should note here is that, in forward engineering, an application is created as per the provided information; whereas in reverse engineering, the information is obtained from an existing application.