Software Architecture: Perspectives on an Emerging Discipline [Paperback]

Mary Shaw (Author), David Garlan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0131829572 | ISBN-13: 978-0131829572 | Publication Date: April 12, 1996

Good software developers often adopt one or several architectural patterns as strategies for system organization. But, although they use these patterns purposefully, they often use them informally and nearly unconsciously. This book organizes this substantial emerging "folklore" of system design -- with its rich language of system description -- and closes the gap between the useful abstractions (constructs and patterns) of system design and the current models, notations and tools. It identifies useful patterns clearly, gives examples, compares them, and evaluates their utility in various settings -- allowing readers to develop a repertoire of useful techniques that goes beyond the single-minded current fads. Examines the ways in which architectural issues can impact software design; shows how to design new systems in principled ways using well-understood architectural paradigms; emphasizes informal descriptions, touching lightly on formal notations and specifications, and the tools that support them; explains how to understand and evaluate the design of existing software systems from an architectural perspective; and presents concrete examples of actual system architectures that can serve as models for new designs. For professional software developers looking for new ideas about system organization.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Shaw and Garland examine the useful abstractions and paradigms of system design as well as key notations and tools. They present an introduction to software architecture that illustrates the current state of the discipline and examines ways in which architectural issues can impact software design.

From the Back Cover

Good software developers often adopt one or several architectural patterns as strategies for system organization. But, although they use these patterns purposefully, they often use them informally and nearly unconsciously. This book organizes this substantial emerging "folklore" of system design -- with its rich language of system description -- and closes the gap between the useful abstractions (constructs and patterns) of system design and the current models, notations and tools. It identifies useful patterns clearly, gives examples, compares them, and evaluates their utility in various settings -- allowing readers to develop a repertoire of useful techniques that goes beyond the single-minded current fads. Examines the ways in which architectural issues can impact software design; shows how to design new systems in principled ways using well-understood architectural paradigms; emphasizes informal descriptions, touching lightly on formal notations and specifications, and the tools that support them; explains how to understand and evaluate the design of existing software systems from an architectural perspective; and presents concrete examples of actual system architectures that can serve as models for new designs. For professional software developers looking for new ideas about system organization.

Product Details

• Paperback: 242 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall (April 12, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131829572
• ISBN-13: 978-0131829572
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #289,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Software Architecture hits the basics, but is dated, October 2, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Software Architecture: Perspectives on an Emerging Discipline (Paperback)

I was disappointed in that Sofware Architecture focused more on a few specific approaches to systems design than on an adaptive approach for creating architectures.

Although published in 1996, I found much of the material to be based on the past (e.g., a pipe and filter model, shared repository, etc.) moreso than on newer/emerging technologies, such as the role of component-based architectures.

I think this is a good text for a traditional summary of the SW industry and some solid practices, but it did not offer the foresight needed by "seasoned" professionals to earn a permanent spot on the bookshelf.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars solidating your understanding of the software architecture, March 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Software Architecture: Perspectives on an Emerging Discipline (Paperback)

This is a book for these who begin to wonder what is the software architecture while they begin to design software, after going through the existing architecture styles, you will understand the bad thing and good thing about one particular style, and you will have the ability to frame your problem in term of these existing styles, if there is a solution existing, you will have a proved solution for your problem, provided you did a careful analysis on your problem. Again, software architecture is a engineering issue, you realy need practice to grasp it.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique container of software architecture, August 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Software Architecture: Perspectives on an Emerging Discipline (Paperback)

This book is very good for novice as well as experienced software professional. One can be easily acquinted with various techniques of Software achitecture for his/her project. It emphasizes all the techniques of S/A very well. I just took this book and went through, I found this book very good. Soon I will purchase this book. This is text book in Universities for post grduation course.