Component-based Development

This book introduces the key principles of component-based development (CBD) that need to be understood in order to adopt a component-based model of software development, and explains the benefits of adopting such an approach for an organization. It guides the reader through the program-planning process, and outlines the need-to-know issues in designing and assembling components.

Software developers, architects and IT project managers will learn how to spring-board over to using a component-based approach, and discover the organizational issues affecting its adoption.

Key features of the book include:

• Insights into component characteristics, and how they are defined and scoped
• Consideration of the software architecture and infrastructure within which components can operate effectively
• Practical advice on building and assembling components
• A case study showing the highs and lows experienced by a finance company that is evolving its software development to a component-based approach, using CORBA, to introduce call centers and internet-based systems.

PART 1. Introduction to component-based development

Chapter 1 Component-based development: attempting to managing chaos

This chapter explains the industry context within which CBD has emerged, and why CBD provides a way of dealing with the conflicting pressures facing software developers.

Chapter 2 What are components?

This chapter provides a definition of components and a discussion of component characteristics. It also discusses the environment required to support components, and briefly outlines the advantages and disadvantages of existing component models such as COM, CORBA, and EJB.

Chapter 3 Putting components in perspective

CBD is only a part of what is relevant for effective software development. This chapter positions CBD in relation to other development techniques, and in relation to OO. It also discusses the limitations to the potential of CBD, and the contexts in which it will not be relevant.

PART 2. The planning process

Chapter 4 Positioning components within the organization

This chapter discusses the ownership and scope of a CBD initiative and its positioning within the organization.

Chapter 5 Software architecture and infrastructure

This chapter discusses the need for an architecture and the various aspects that an architecture for CBD needs to cover.

Chapter 6 Defining components

This chapter covers the principles affecting component definition :

• coarse- versus fine-grained components ;
• types of component and how they can be fitted together ;
• defining component scope.

Chapter 7 Putting component-based development into practice

This chapter builds on the previous three chapters and outlines a set of tasks that can be carried out to create an initial CBD strategy and to refine this strategy over time.

Chapter 8 Pragmatics of program planning

This chapter discusses how the CBD strategy can be put into effect over time, as part of program planning. It covers the process of reconciling an ideal vision with short-term requirements and messy reality.

Chapter 9 Organization for component-based development

This chapter discusses alternative organizational structures for implementing a zBD program. It discusses roles and team structures for strategy planning, component acquisition, and component assembly.

PART 3. Building and assembling components

Chapter 10 Acquiring components

This chapter covers issues that are specific to procuring components as opposed to packages.

Chapter 11 Designing components

This chapter discusses how to design components for flexibility and where to draw the line in designing for reuse.

Chapter 12 Assembling components

This chapter discusses some of the issues that arise when fitting components together.

Chapter 13 Testing, certification, and maintaining a component catalog

This chapter outlines issues relating to the management and maintenance of a portfolio of components, including a consideration of what is needed to make a component available for reuse or sale.

PART 4. A brief case study

Chapter 14 Managing chaos with components

This chapter contains a brief (fictional) case study of the use of CBD in an organization with existing mainframe-based applications that is evolving toward a component-based approach, as it introduces call centers and Internet-based systems.