Design guidance through the controlled application of constraints

Seeks to facilitate the development of high-quality software designs and architectures by using rigorous process definitions to guide the application of the complex structure of relations and constraints that define well-formedness. We identify various types of constraints and demonstrate specific instances of these types. We endorse the value of maintaining the integrity of these constraints by reacting to their violation with diagnostics and remedies. The sheer number and diversity of these constraints, however, indicates the desirability of a mechanism for controlling the scope and effect of their enforcement. Thus, we propose to use proactive process specifications to control the enforcement of and reaction to the various constraints. This results in a process-driven system that supports designers and architects by guiding them through orderly development and rework processes, disciplined by the application of constraint enforcement at the right times and in the right ways. This work entails research in defining both types and instances of constraints with programmable enforcement strategies, in embedding such constraints in processes, and in appropriate process definition formalisms.