Integrating Architecture Description Languages: A Semantics-Based Approach

Abstract

Numerous architectural description languages(ADLs) have been developed in the last decade. However, none of the ADLs and their toolsets are expressive enough to cover all the requirements that may be specified while developing a software system. An ADL based approach will be more useful and powerful if ADLs can share architectural descriptions and if their analysis tools can be integrated. In this paper, we propose a semantics-based approach to integrating ADLs. A general, abstract executable form is developed for representing architectural information. A uniform query language is also defined that can be used to retrieve architectural information from this abstract form. There are at least three benefits of our framework. First, software designer and analysis tools can use a uniform query language to retrieve architectural information from architectural descriptions written in different ADLs. Second, interpreters and toolsets for ADLs can be developed extremely quickly. Thus, as an ADL rapidly evolves, its implementation infrastructure can be developed at the same pace. Third, an architecture description written in one ADL can be readily translated into another ADL.

The authors partially supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, Department of Education, and the Environment Protection Agency.