maintenance

n 1: activity involved in maintaining something in good working

order; "he wrote the manual on car care" [syn: {care}, {upkeep}]

2: means of maintenance of a family or group

3: court-ordered support paid by one spouse to another after

they are separated [syn: {alimony}]

4: the act of sustaining [syn: {sustenance}, {sustentation}, {sustainment},

{upkeep}]

maintenance

The modification of a software product, after

delivery, to correct faults, to improve performance or other

attributes, or to adapt the product to a changed environment.

Maintenance is an important part of the {software life-cycle}.

It is expensive in manpower and resources, and one of the aims

of {software engineering} is to reduce its cost.

(1996-12-27)