Property-part diagrams: A dependence notation for software systems

Abstract

Some limitations of traditional dependence diagrams are explained, and a new notation that overcomes them is proposed. The key idea is to include in the diagram not only the parts of a system but also the properties that are assigned to them; dependences are shown as a relation not from parts to parts, but between properties and the parts (or other properties) that support them. The diagram can be used to evaluate modularization in a design, to assess how successfully critical properties are confined to a limited subset of parts, and to structure a dependability argument.