Professional Application Lifecycle Management with Visual Studio® 2010

Chapter 1. Introduction to Software Architecture

WHAT'S IN THIS CHAPTER?

• Why designing visually is important

• Microsoft's approach to a modeling strategy

• Modeling tools in Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate

In this introductory chapter, you'll learn about the main themes — domain-specific languages (DSLs), model-driven development (MDD), and the Unified Modeling Language (UML) — and how they apply to the Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate. As part of this discussion, you'll learn what Microsoft has to say on those subjects, as well as some impartial views from the authors.

This chapter examines the evolution of distributed computing architectures — from simple object-oriented development, through component and distributed-component design, to the service-oriented architectures (SOAs) — that represent the current state of the art.

This chapter wraps up with a brief glimpse at the new architecture tools in Visual Studio 2010. New modeling tools, as well as support for the most common Unified Modeling Language diagrams, have been added to Visual Studio 2010, making the architecture tools first-class citizens in the product.

Let's begin by first establishing the case for even undertaking visual modeling — or visual design — in the first place.

DESIGNING VISUALLY

Two elementary questions immediately come to mind. Why design at all, rather than just code? Why design visually?

To answer the first question, consider the common analogy of building complex physical structures, such as bridges. Crossing a small stream ...