Software Architecture DSL and Visual Standardization for Collaboration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The lack of a universally accepted definition language for software architectures leads to collaboration difficulties, inconsistency, inefficient communication, and delays in software projects due to the absence of standardization.
Innovation Solution
A customizable domain-specific language (DSL) is used to define software architecture structures and components, coupled with a web interface that translates the DSL into visual representations, enabling standardized and shareable architectural designs across users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a standardized definition language for software architectures is adopted, then collaboration efficiency and communication effectiveness are improved, but the complexity of implementing and maintaining the standardization framework increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the software architecture definition into distinct standardized components: domain-specific language for structural definition, separate visualization layer, and modular catalogue resources. This segmentation allows each component to be developed and maintained independently, reducing overall framework complexity while improving collaboration efficiency through clear component boundaries and interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary standardized definition language that acts as a mediator between architectural concepts and their visual representations. This intermediary layer enables automated translation and consistent interpretation across different stakeholders, improving communication effectiveness without requiring direct complex interactions between all system components.
2Loss of time
If automated reviews and validation are implemented through standardized language, then project completion time is reduced, but the initial setup and configuration effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining standardized architectural patterns, common component libraries, and validation rules in the domain-specific language. These pre-configured elements enable automated reviews to execute efficiently during project execution, reducing completion time while distributing setup effort across reusable templates rather than requiring complete configuration from scratch for each project.
3Loss of information
If visual representations are standardized and automated, then understanding and communication of architecture are improved, but the complexity of the translation and visualization system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates standardized visual copies of architectural definitions through automated translation from the domain-specific language. These visual representations serve as faithful copies that preserve architectural intent while presenting it in an easily understandable format. The copying mechanism uses standardized mapping rules that reduce translation system complexity compared to creating custom visualizations for each architectural scenario.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for standardizing the definition of a software architecture is provided. The system includes a customizable domain specific language (DSL) configured to define a structure and one or more architectural components of the software architecture and a catalogue having one or more resources that are customizable based on the defined structure of the software architecture. The system further includes a web interface communicatively coupled to an interpreter. The web interface is configured to translate the domain specific language (DSL) to a visual representation and enable creation of standardized visual representations of the software architecture. Each visual representation includes one or more resources of the catalogue arranged in accordance with the structure of the software architecture.