Towards A Model For Composed Extensible Components

Uwe Assmann

Universität Karlsruhe Institut für Programmstrukturen und Datenorganisation
Kaiserstrasse 12
76128 Karlsruhe, Germany
assmann@ipd.info.uni-karlsruhe.de

Rainer Schmidt

FZI Karlsruhe
Haid- und Neu-Strasse 14
76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
rschmidt@fzi.de

Abstract:

Currently software is difficult to extend. When the definition of an item is changed, often all its uses have to be adapted. In this paper we collect several requirements to avoid this effect and sketch a new model for extensible component-based software, software cocktail mixers. In essence, the model combines views and operator-based composition. We argue that uses of components must have an abstract view of the component. Subcomponents should only be accessed by name, and the access mapping function should be compiler-calculated. To this end software should be composed using definition composition operators. However, the definition of the formal model is not yet finished, and we would like to discuss it with others.

Keywords: Software engineering, software extensibility, software maintainance

Workshop Goals: Contacts to other people in component systems and software composition; discussing formal models for software composition