Software Architect's Handbook

Software architecture design terms

Before we go any further, let's define some of the terms that we will be using while detailing the process of software architecture design. These terms can vary, depending on the organization and the team. Regardless of the terms used, the important thing is that they are used consistently by the team members and that they are understood by all team members.

For the purposes of this book, we'll be using the terms structure, element, system, subsystem, module, and component.