The Convenience for a Notation to Express Non-Functional Characteristics of Software Components

Xavier Franch

Dept. Llenguatges i Sistemes Informàtics
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
c/Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034 Barcelona Catalonia (Spain)
Tel: (34) 3 4016965
Fax: (34) 3 4017014
Email: franch@lsi.upc.es

Abstract:

Software systems are characterised both by their functionality (what the system does) and by their non-functionality (how does the system behave with respect to some observable attributes like performance, reusability, reliability, etc.). Both aspects are relevant to software development. However, non-functional issues have received little attention compared to functional ones. In this position paper we highlight the role of non-functionality, and we claim to have defined a notation to deal with them. We enumerate some design principles for such a notation, and then we make a proposal, which allows to define non-functional attributes of software, non-functional behaviour of components with respect to these attributes, and also non-functional requirements over implementations.

Keywords: Component, Non-Functional Attribute, Non-Functional Behaviour, Non-Functional Requirements.

Workshop Goals: learning; to highlight a particular problem not always perceived as such; to propose a concrete notation to deal with this problem; to receive feedback from the component programming community.