Visual comparison of software architectures. (April 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Beck, Fabian; Diehl, Stephan
• Other Names: Telea Alexandru C. guest-editor.; Görg Carsten guest-editor.; Reiss Steven guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Information visualization. Volume 12:Number 2(2013)
• Page Start: 178
• Page End: 199
• Publication Date: 2013-04
• Subjects: Software architecture -- hierarchy comparison -- graph visualization; Information visualization -- Periodicals; 006.605
• DOI: 10.1177/1473871612455983
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1473-8716

Abstract

Reverse engineering methods produce different descriptions of software architectures. In this article we address the task of exploring and comparing these descriptions. We present a novel visualization technique to compare architectures consisting of a decomposition of the software system and the dependencies among the code entities. This technique uses a visual representation of an adjacency matrix to provide a scalable analysis tool. Advanced layout features such as an automatic level of detail algorithm and sorting strategies improve the readability of the visualization. Using a case study, we show how this technique can be applied in practice.