Software Connectors Concept

Software Connector Definition

• A software connector is an architectural element that models interactions among components and specifies the rules that govern those interactions.

Types of Interactions

• Simple interactions: procedure calls, shared variable access
• Complex and semantically rich interactions: client-server protocols, database access protocols, asynchronous event multicast

Connector Characteristics

• Provide interaction duct(s) for the transfer of control and/or data
• Frequently, no dedicated code is written for connectors
• Typically, connectors do not correspond to compilation units
• Can be distributed across multiple modules and interaction mechanisms
• Implemented vs. conceptual connectors: connectors can be implemented in code or exist only as conceptual entities in software architectures

Reasons for Treating Connectors Independently

• Connectors ≠ components: components provide application-specific functionality, while connectors provide application-independent interaction mechanisms
• Interaction abstraction and/or parameterization: connectors specify complex interactions, which can be unary, binary, or N-ary, and asymmetric or symmetric
• Interaction protocols: connectors are entitled to their own specifications and abstractions