Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Query Language for Software Architecture Information

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Software Architecture (ECSA 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 14212))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 512 Accesses

Abstract

Software maintenance is important, but suffers from architecture information that is diverging over time (architectural drift). The Digital Architecture Twin (DArT) can support software maintenance by providing continuously recovered architecture information. But the crucial link for stakeholders to retrieve this information is missing. To fill this gap, we contribute the Architecture Information Query Language (AIQL), which enables stakeholders to access up-to-date and tailored architecture information. We derived two application scenarios in the context of continuous reverse engineering. We showed that the AIQL provides the required functionality to formulate queries for the application scenarios. In a user study, stakeholders agreed that the language is easy to understand and assessed its value to the specific stakeholder for the application scenarios.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 74.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    This work briefly summarizes the author’s master thesis [1]. Further details and evaluation is provided in the extended version of this paper in the arXiv [2].

  2. 2.

    Detailed description of the language’s syntax in Extended Backus-Naur Form (EBNF) and its semantics are provided in the extended version [2].

References

  1. Ammermann, J.: An architecture information query language for the digital architecture twin. Master Thesis, TU Braunschweig (2022). https://doi.org/10.24355/dbbs.084-202209301202-0, https://leopard.tu-braunschweig.de/receive/dbbs_mods_00071363

  2. Ammermann, J., Jordan, S., Linsbauer, L., Schaefer, I.: A query language for software architecture information (extended version) (2023). https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2306.16829

  3. Canfora, G., Di Penta, M., Cerulo, L.: Achievements and challenges in software reverse engineering. Commun. ACM 54(4), 142–151 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1145/1924421.1924451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ducasse, S., Pollet, D.: Software architecture reconstruction: a process-oriented taxonomy. IEEE Trans. Softw. Eng. 35(4), 573–591 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1109/TSE.2009.19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Garcia, J., Ivkovic, I., Medvidovic, N.: A comparative analysis of software architecture recovery techniques. In: Proceedings of the 28th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automated Software Engineering, pp. 486–496. ASE’13 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1109/ASE.2013.6693106

  6. Guo, G.Y., Atlee, J.M., Kazman, R.: A software architecture reconstruction method. In: Donohoe, P. (ed.) Software Architecture, TC2 First Working IFIP Conference on Software Architecture (WICSA1), 22–24 February 1999, San Antonio, Texas, USA. IFIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 140, pp. 15–34. Kluwer (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Jordan, S., Linsbauer, L., Schaefer, I.: Autoarx: Digital twins of living architectures. In: ECSA 2022, Prague, Czech Republic, September 19–23, 2022, Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 13444, pp. 205–212. Springer, Cham (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16697-6_15

  8. Kazman, R., Carrière, S.J.: Playing detective: reconstructing software architecture from available evidence. Autom. Softw. Eng. 6(2), 107–138 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008781513258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Medvidovic, N., Taylor, R.N.: A framework for classifying and comparing architecture description languages. SIGSOFT Softw. Eng. Notes 22(6), 60–76 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1145/267896.267903

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Monroy, M., Pinzger, M., Arciniegas, J.: Arco: Architecture recovery in context. J. Xi’an Univ. Archit. Technol 13(2), 128–143 (2021)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Pinzger, M.: ArchView - analyzing evolutionary aspects of complex software systems. Ph.D. thesis, TU Wien (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Sartipi, K.: Alborz: A query-based tool for software architecture recovery. In: 9th International Workshop on Program Comprehension (IWPC 2001), 12–13 May 2001, Toronto, Canada, pp. 115–116. IEEE Computer Society (2001). https://doi.org/10.1109/WPC.2001.921721

  13. Sartipi, K.: Software architecture recovery based on pattern matching. Ph.D. thesis, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Taylor, R.N., Medvidovic, N., Dashofy, E.M.: Software Architecture - Foundations, Theory, and Practice. Wiley (2010). https://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-EHEP000180.html

  15. Wang, Q., Gupta, G.: A logic programming-based environment for integrating architecture description languages. In: WLPE 2004: 14th Workshop on Logic Programming Environments, pp. 67–86 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany

    Joshua Ammermann & Ina Schaefer

  2. Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg, Germany

    Sven Jordan

  3. Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany

    Lukas Linsbauer

Authors
  1. Joshua Ammermann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sven Jordan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lukas Linsbauer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ina Schaefer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joshua Ammermann .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Bedir Tekinerdogan

  2. Computer Science, Gran Sasso Science Institute, L’Aquila, Italy

    Catia Trubiani

  3. LIRMM, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France

    Chouki Tibermacine

  4. DIGIP, University of Bergamo, Dalmine, Italy

    Patrizia Scandurra

  5. Superior de Ingeniería Informática, Rey Juan Carlos University, Mostoles, Madrid, Spain

    Carlos E. Cuesta

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Ammermann, J., Jordan, S., Linsbauer, L., Schaefer, I. (2023). A Query Language for Software Architecture Information. In: Tekinerdogan, B., Trubiani, C., Tibermacine, C., Scandurra, P., Cuesta, C.E. (eds) Software Architecture. ECSA 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14212. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42592-9_23

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42592-9_23

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-42591-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-42592-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation