To enable software reuse and higher productivity, software vendors are increasingly focused on achieving a richer and higher level of functionality.
Two key elements of software development, components and patterns are coming to the fore. And while software components are relatively well known, software patterns are not.
Research group CBDi Forum comments in its report "Patterns as Reusable Knowledge, October 2001", that several vendors are now taking patterns as a basis for further automation.
"Software patterns are now widely seen as an essential part of a robust development process or platform - providing reassurance, motivation and insight to software managers and developers."
To grasp the strengthening role of patterns in the development environment, it is important to understand how they fit into the bigger picture.
Most patterns are published as text, with some standard subheadings, plus optional diagrams and snatches of code. This means that they serve primarily as instruction and guidance to designers and developers.
Patterns, therefore in essence, facilitate the reuse of pre-defined designs, structures and code, and capture the specific knowledge of skilled IT architects within an organisation.
According to Ben van Niekerk, product manager at Compuware SA, patterns result in fast, efficient, standard development throughout the development process - focusing developers on what to build rather than how to build it.
Tyler McDaniel, director application strategies at Hurwitz Group, says: "Patterns help developers jumpstart their development projects because they contain technical knowledge, which developers can then use and add business logic to."
Compuware`s latest released version of its Java development environment, OptimalJ 2.1, gives architects a mechanism to define J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition) patterns. Developers who use OptimalJ no longer need to exert time and effort on complex technical infrastructures.
And, OptimalJ 2.1`s pattern editing functionality enables software architects to build and maintain their own patterns to automatically implement working J2EE applications.
"The aim in version 2.0 was to lower the entry requirements for developers wanting to build powerful enterprise web applications for J2EE. In 2.1 we believe the power of patterns has been taken to a new level," comments Jonathan Stephenson, associate analyst at CBDi Forum.
OptimalJ 2.1 includes three new diagrams at the application model level that greatly improves the understanding of the applications generated by the environment, allowing developers to quickly navigate through the application components.
Concludes Van Niekerk: "Combining patterns and models is the key to boosting developer productivity and reducing the complexity of the J2EE platform."
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Compuware Corporation, a multi-billion dollar company, provides business value through software that optimises productivity and reduces costs across the application life cycle. Meeting the rapidly changing needs of businesses of all sizes, Compuware`s market-leading solutions improve the quality, ease the integration and enhance the performance of distributed, e-business and enterprise software. Compuware employs more than 12 000 information technology professionals worldwide. For more information about Compuware, please contact the South African subsidiary on +27 (0)11 516-2900 or visit Compuware SA on the World Wide Web at http://www.compuware.co.za.
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