Concern-driven design for a specification language supporting component-based software engineering

The paper concerns an approach to software development which is referred to as Component Based Software Engineering (CBSE). The approach is based on the principle of extensive use of preexisting, standard or customizable components in building new systems. CBSE has received considerable attention recently since it promises to bring to software development the engineering discipline that has been long accepted in more mature engineering domains. We describe the design of a specification language intended for support of basic CBSE activities; the Architecture Specification Language (ASL). More specifically, we show how the language design choices have been driven by our understanding and prioritization of the concerns of the key stakeholders involved in the software development process