Comparing inter-tool communication in control-centred tool integration frameworks

Tool integration frameworks provide the devices needed to define and refine customised integrated software engineering environments. The customisation that they provide relates both to the specific tools populating the environment and the nature of the interaction between tools (i.e. the style of integration). A number of such tool integration frameworks are available, either as the results of research projects or as commercial products. Unfortunately for potential users or purchasers of these frameworks, it is unclear to what extent the provided integration devices can adequately describe the integration required in a particular situation. This paper presents progress towards an approach to the precise description of tool integration devices, this approach uses an operational model based on information structures to formally describe tool integration devices. The approach is illustrated by describing selected features of the integration devices of two control-centred tool integration frameworks-a research prototype framework, FIELD, and a commercial framework, Hewlett-Packard's SoftBench. The paper shows how this approach facilitates the comparison of the features concerned and thus informs a discussion on the styles of integration which can be expressed in the two integration devices.