May 09, 2005

IBM offers software development patterns

Modeling tool is augmented with code reuse

Focusing on code reuse, IBM on Monday is making available four enterprise software development patterns intended to ease application-building for users of the IBM Rational Software Architect tool.

The free IBM Rational Software Architect Enterprise Patterns feature code that can be integrated directly into the Software Architect tool. The patterns enable automation and reuse of application designs. For example, an online account balance inquiry application could be fitted into any other application that requires “view account balance” functionality.

“It’s essentially a set of codified, reusable assets that folks can bring into Rational tools and increase their productivity and help them implement enterprise applications in a more quick way,” said Angel Diaz, director of On Demand software development at IBM.

The four patterns being made available include:

* Business delegates, which allows for taking business-specific code and linking it to a service that will use the code. This pattern is applicable to assembling an SOA, according to Diaz.

* Data access object, which provides for automated access to back-end data and insulates a client application from details on how the data is stored. Data can be accessed via mechanisms such as ODBC and SQL calls. Developers specify the data sources when building the applications.

* Message façade, which provides an abstraction layer for message transport between applications, supporting mechanisms such as SOAP or MQ.

* Session façade, for managing sessions, such as in logging transactions.

Although the four patterns are generic, IBM also supports developers who want to build their own specific patterns via Software Architect, Diaz said. Software Architect is a design and development tool that provides for model-driven development via UML.

With the patterns, IBM is embedding best practices directly in tools for easier use, said Carl Zetie, an analyst at Forrester Research. Patterns encapsulate best practices but enable developers to deviate from the pattern when it makes sense, he said.

“Patterns are one of the most successful things that we’ve seen in general modeling,” Zetie said.

The patterns are available on the IBM DeveloperWorks site.

Paul Krill is an editor at large at InfoWorld.
Close

On Twitter now

Application development

Powered by Twitter

White Paper

D2D Virtual Tape Library Replication Primer

This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.

Download now »

White Paper

An Alternative to Virtualization for Datacenter Cost Savings

Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.

Download now »

White Paper

Why Your Firewall, VPN, and IEEE 802.11i Aren't Enough to Protect Your Network

The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.

Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation

Download now »

White Paper

Bringing the Edge to the Data Center

Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.

Download now »

Sign up to receive InfoWorld Resource Alerts

Subscribe to the Developer World Newsletter

Receive a weekly roundup about the art and science of software development.

©1994-2009 Infoworld, Inc.