1

      My initial area of investigation was on the relationship between architecture styles and quality attributes. Recently, however, I began to realize, along with my supervisor, that a richer relationship exists between context and form.

      Currently, our research is directed towards formulating a 'new' way of recognizing context according to this relationship.

    2

      We recognize that context is a problematic concept. It is also inheritably problematic because of the infinite regression of context of context(s). This fact, as far as we know, has not been addressed properly in software engineering.

    3

      We propose a new view of 'context' based on influence and perception. We think of context as a process of making connections. On one hand, a 'connection' of element 'A' with element 'B' is considered contextual if 'A' has strong influence on 'B', otherwise it is non-contextual. On the other hand, the 'connection' is explicit if the 'connection' between element 'A' and element 'B' is confirmed. Otherwise the 'connection' is considered implicit. [Alshaikh & Boughton, 2008]

    4

      To manage the complex relationship between requirements and their context(s), or context within other context(s), we depicted a 2x2 matrix we refer to as the Context Dynamics Matrix (CDM). The Matrix allows for the contextual relationship between two elements to be described in the form of states, as shown in the above figure. [Alshaikh & Boughton, 2008]

    5

      In the realization of context, in the manner described earlier, we believe, it would be possible for form to evolve piecemeal more effectively, as a response to a changing dynamic context.

    6

      The Context Dynamics Matrix is currently used within our group in the area of scientific workflow coupling in the aim to achieve effective context-enriched model coupling. This area of research is led by Srinivas Chemboli.

      [Alshaikh & Boughton, 2008] Z. Alshaikh and C. Boutghon. Context centralised method for software architecture: A pattern evolution approach. In 3rd International Conference on Software and Data Technologies (ICSOFT2008), 2008.

 

Ziyad Alshaikh © 2008