Workshops -- Tuesday

Software architects create systems using many different methods. Some architects insist that the system structure be mapped out in detail before development work begins, while other architects provide a skeletal plan and then make their decisions as the implementation unfolds. Some architectural approaches provide a checklist of decisions to make before you begin allocating tasks to developers, while other approaches focus on solving problems by writing code, and refactoring to develop a coherent system structure. Still other approaches exist involving the generation of a system through the selection and application of patterns. Individuals new to the software development community often ask the question, "Which development approach should I select?". Rather than trying to reach agreement on the one true path, this workshop seeks to identify the forces that make one development approach more appropriate than another for a particular problem.

In this workshop we will examine different approaches to implementing software architecture, by looking at the processes by which real software systems have evolved. Interested participants should submit a 3-5 page position paper describing the approach used to develop a software system, and the impact of that approach on producing a coherent architecture. The ideal position paper will contain a story of personal involvement in the development of a system, concluding with a description of the lessons learned. Researchers interested in participating should contact the organizers with proposals describing how they can contribute to advancing the state of the art, possibly through education.

As with past Patterns in Software Architecture workshops, the morning session will focus on working in small teams to mine the position papers for insights and potential patterns. After a group lunch and an energy restoring activity, the teams will present their findings and collect feedback from the group that will strengthen the patterns. Finally, the group will attempt to weave the patterns into a whole, and identify gaps where additional patterns might exist. This workshop seeks to continue the work started during previous Patterns in Software Architecture workshops. This year's workshop will look at the approaches used to develop systems, and what forces play on the selection of an approach. By examining the implementation of real systems it is hoped to identify the patterns that drive decisions about development methods. Ultimately it is hoped to refine and compile these patterns so that they could contribute further to a Software Architecture Handbook.