The Need for Architecture

Over the years I have heard many definitions of software architecture that range from “software architecture is what software architects do” to “software architecture is politics.” I have come to the conclusion that software architecture is very difficult to define. It is a range of artifacts that are used to specify the strategic decisions about the structure and behavior of the system, the collaborations among the system elements, and the physical deployment of the system.

“Establishing a sound architectural foundation is absolutely essential to the success of an object-oriented project. Some teams try to ignore this phase, either because they are in such a rush to get a product out quickly they feel they don't have ...

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