Nagl M., Westfechtel B. Software Architectures: Topics Usually Missed in Textbooks

Springer, 2024. — 344 p. — I SBN 978-3-031-51334-3.This textbook concentrates on processes, activities, and results related to Software Architectures. It describes the separation of architectural artifacts corresponding to their nature, their logical or their modeling level on one hand and at the same time emphasizes their integration based on their mutual relations. Design or development processes demand integration, as different artifacts must be elaborated, which are mutually dependent and need to be in a consistent form.The term Software Architecture tries to introduce a similar understanding in the field of software system construction. We see that by looking at the covers of many books on software architecture, which mostly contain a building or a fragment thereof on the cover page (a bridge, a cathedral, or a part of the outer shell). The software architecture is the essential description in the whole development process for software, it fixes the most important decisions, determines the long-term properties of the software, and predetermines management, quality, and documentation of the process and the final product.Architecture modeling is the most influential subprocess of software development or maintenance, and the software architecture is the key to all results of that process. Nevertheless, there are different approaches to software architectures, concerning how to think, how to denote, and how to interrelate architectures with other results of the development process.Surprisingly, there are topics, which are important for software architectures or their influence on the development process, which are not or not deeply enough discussed in software architecture textbooks. This statement applies to all software architecture books, irrespective, of which approaches they follow. This finding led to this book and, more specifically, also to the title of this book.Another topic is to relate software architectures to other activities and results in the development or maintenance process. Here we emphasize the central role of architectures and how this role implies strong connections and implications. The book is architecture-centric: It concentrates on architectures, but also discusses other activities and results, especially, if they are in a strong relation to the architecture.This book aims to discuss such topics. As these topics are usually missing in textbooks, the lecturer of a course on software architecture can decide, which chapter of this book he/she will take to the lecture. This can apply to one or more chapters. This applies to any software architecture approach. Especially, this characterizes the value of the book in the context of software architecture literature. The book does not claim to cover all such topics.Part 1 Importance of Software Architectures.
The Architecture is the Center of the Software Development Process.
An Integrative Architecture Language Approach.
Sequences of Architectures from Abstract to Details.
Part 2 Important Topics on Architecture Level.
Embedded Systems: Rules to Improve Adaptability.
Architecture Styles: Do they Need Different Notations?
Process Interaction Diagrams: More than Chains or Transport Networks.
Characterization of Shallow and Deep Reuse.
The Software Architecture is the Glue for Variety and Integration.
Reverse and Reengineering for Old Systems is Seldom Complete.
Part 3 Relations to Surrounding Activities.
Process and Model Transformations on Different Levels.
The transformation from Requirements to Architectures is not Automatic.
The Architecture is the Blueprint for the Code.
Architecture-Centered Project Organization.
Quality Assurance and Documentation Related to Architecture.
Part 4 Summaries, Conclusions, Open Problems, Index.
Summary, Lessons Learned, Messages, Open Problems.