SAB The Software Architecture Browser http://www.inf.fu-berlin.de/inst/ag-ss/projects/sab

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SABThe Software Architecture Browserhttp//www.
inf.fu-berlin.de/inst/ag-ss/projects/sab

• Nils Erben
• Klaus-Peter Löhr
• Freie Universität Berlin

VISSOFT '05 Budapest, 25.9.2005
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• Software architecture
• design, gross structure, programming in the
  large, ...
• different architectural styles
• "object-oriented architecture" ?

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• Software architecture
• design, gross structure, programming in the
  large, ...
• different architectural styles
• "object-oriented architecture" ?

Hierarchical architecture
asymmetric binary relation among software units
forms acyclic directed graph
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Visualizing object-oriented software ? -
class diagrams - different relations! -
cycles!
? spaghetti diagrams are common
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Visualizing object-oriented software ? -
class diagrams - different relations! -
cycles!
? spaghetti diagrams are common

• SAB for Java
• cope with limited screen size
• fight spaghetti diagrams
• indicate hierarchical layers
• support exploration of classes
• and their neighbourhood

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Outline

• Exploring individual classes
• Exploring class neighbourhoods
• Adjusting layers
• Creating diagrams

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1 Exploring individual classes
Choose among different levels of detail for class
contents - according to visibility (nothing) p
ublic package increasing level of
detail protected private
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(click on class Comment)
visibility public
class is in focus of interest (by clicking or
pinning or marquee selection)
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visibility package
visibility protected
visibility private
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2 Exploring class neighbourhoods

• Edges are shown as stubs only -
• unless their target is in the context of a
  focussed class
• context is a relative notion,
• indicated by the colour of the bullet

context radius 0 1 2 3 determined by enclosing
context
within context of radius 1, but not in focus
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Incoming edges of a class not in context are
shown as stubs - unless chosen otherwise
"refers to "
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3 Adjusting layers
? Layers are not a Java language feature ?
Layers are manually introduced into a diagram. ?
Layers can be rearranged in the diagram. ?
Classes can be dragged into a different layer. ?
Upward arrows across layer boundaries are marked
red.
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Simple example
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Another example SAB applied to itself (excerpt)
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4 Creating diagrams
SAB GUI on startup
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Conclusion

• ? highly customizable class diagrams
• ? different views of a given system
• ? dynamic exploration and modification of
  diagrams
• ? experimenting with different layerings

http//www.inf.fu-berlin.de/inst/ag-ss/projects/sa
b