An Integrative Architecture Language Approach

This chapter is on one hand a survey on /Na 90/ and newer results. On the other, it summarizes the integrative nature of the approach to architecture modeling presented there. Different views and aspects are brought together, which all are important, when building up or changing an architecture: the static part (how to compose components with connectors), the different paradigms and abstractions, which are used (locality, layers, object-orientation), bigger parts as subarchitectures and subsystems, and various patterns to be followed. Further and important aspects like semantics, concurrency, abstract connectors and their different realization mechanisms, distribution, and different styles are also regarded.We follow the guideline, that if different artifacts are used, the relations between them must be clear and obvious. Furthermore, all fragments, artifacts, and documents - for architecture modeling as well as for other working areas of software development - must build up an easy to understand product model for the system to be constructed or maintained. Both ideas come from the architecture for buildings (standard views and building information model).