research-article

A Classification and Comparison Framework for Software Architecture Description Languages

Authors:

Nenad Medvidovic,

Richard N. TaylorAuthors Info & Claims

IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, Volume 26, Issue 1

Pages 70 - 93

https://doi.org/10.1109/32.825767

Published: 01 January 2000 Publication History

Abstract

Software architectures shift the focus of developers from lines-of-code to coarser-grained architectural elements and their overall interconnection structure. Architecture description languages (ADLs) have been proposed as modeling notations to support architecture-based development. There is, however, little consensus in the research community on what is an ADL, what aspects of an architecture should be modeled in an ADL, and which of several possible ADLs is best suited for a particular problem. Furthermore, the distinction is rarely made between ADLs on one hand and formal specification, module interconnection, simulation, and programming languages on the other. This paper attempts to provide an answer to these questions. It motivates and presents a definition and a classification framework for ADLs. The utility of the definition is demonstrated by using it to differentiate ADLs from other modeling notations. The framework is used to classify and compare several existing ADLs, enabling us, in the process, to identify key properties of ADLs. The comparison highlights areas where existing ADLs provide extensive support and those in which they are deficient, suggesting a research agenda for the future.

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Index Terms

A Classification and Comparison Framework for Software Architecture Description Languages
1. Software and its engineering
  1. Software notations and tools
  2. Software organization and properties
    1. Software system structures
      1. Software architectures
2. Theory of computation
  1. Formal languages and automata theory

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cover image IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering

IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering Volume 26, Issue 1

January 2000

95 pages

ISSN:0098-5589

Editor:
Anneliese Von Mayrhauser
Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins

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Copyright © Copyright © 2000 IEEE. All Rights Reserved.

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Published: 01 January 2000

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