Style Based Reuse for Software Architecture

Authors: Robert T. Monroe and David Garlan

Proceedings of the 1996 International Conference on Software Reuse, April 1996.

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Abstract

Although numerous mechanisms for promoting software reuse have been proposed and implemented over the years, most have focused on the reuse of implementation code. There is much conjecture and some empirical evidence, however, that the most effective forms of reuse are generally found at more abstract levels of software design. In this paper we discuss software reuse at the architectural level of design. Specifically, we argue that the concept of "architectural style" is useful for supporting the classification, storage, and retrieval of reusable architectural design elements. We briefly describe the Aesop system's Software Shelf, a tool that assists designers in selecting appropriate design elements and patterns based on stylistic information and design constraints.

Keywords: Software Reuse, Software Architecture, Design Patterns, Software Repositories

For further information, please visit the home pages of the ABLE research project and Carnegie Mellon University's Composable Systems Group.

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