Research On Software Architecture Based Aspectual Component Modeling Technology

The complexity of current software systems and the fact that their non-functionalrequirements have become very relevant for the end-user are challenges to be faced insoftware development. In the last few years, these properties have increased the timeand the staff required for the development and maintenance processes of software. As aresult, there is greater interest in reducing the costs of these processes in complexsoftware systems. In order to deal with these challenges, and to overcome thecompetitiveness of the market, this thesis presents a novel approach for developingcomplex software systems. This approach is called SABACM(Software ArchitectureBased Aspectual Component Model). SABACM is supported by a framework thatconsists of a model, a language and a methodology.The SABACM model combines two approaches to define software architectures:the Component-Based Software Development(CBSD)and the Aspect-Oriented SoftwareDevelopment(AOSD). The main contributions of the model are the way that it combinesboth approaches to take their advantages, and its formal language. SABACM takes intoaccount non-functional requirements from the early stages of the software life cycle andimproves the reusability and maintenance of software by decomposing software systemsusing two different concepts: aspects and architectural elements(components andconnectors). SABACM provides a formal Aspectual Architecture DescriptionLanguage(A-ADL) for specifying aspect-oriented software architectures. A-ADL isindependent of technology and is based on formal languages and formalisms to preservenon-ambiguity in order to apply code generation techniques.The main contribution of the thesis can be divided into several specific parts:·To study the related works of Architecture Description Languages (ADLs),Aspect-Oriented Languages and the proposals that integrate the aspect-orientationapproach and ADLs.·To define and formalize a model that integrates AOSD and CBSD in thedefinition of software architectures. This integration provide mechanisms to reuseaspects and components.·To define an ADL(A-ADL) to specify software architectures based on the definedmodel. This language must provide the needed expressiveness to completely specifycomplex software systems and must be based on formalisms that ensure theonambiguity of specifications.·To validate the expressiveness of the language by completely specifying an industrial case study using the language.·To define a metamodel to specify the properties of the model.·To propose a methodology to guide the analyst throughout the developmentprocess of aspect-oriented software architectures.The methodology that SABACM proposes for developing software systemsfollows the Paradigm of Automatic Programming by applying the Model-DrivenDevelopment(MDD) approach. As a result, SABACM provides traceability from theanalysis and design stages of the software life cycle to the implementation stage, andprovides mechanisms to improve the time and cost invested in the development andmaintenance processes.All the contributions of this thesis have been demonstrated using the case study of“Mobile Agent-Based Online Auction System”. The reuse capabilities of the SABACMmodel have been presented by means of the case study. The architecture of case studyhas also helped to present the capabilities of the SABACM modelling methodology.