Documenting Software Architectures
Documenting software architectures is crucial for guiding developers, facilitating communication, and capturing decisions effectively. The arc42 template and C4 model offer structured approaches to achieve this, balancing detail and clarity.
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In the newsletter by Dr. Milan Milanović, the importance of documenting software architectures is highlighted. Software architecture documentation provides a high-level view of the system, guiding developers during implementation and facilitating communication among stakeholders. It ensures crucial decisions are captured and shared effectively, promoting a shared understanding. The arc42 template offers a structured approach to document software architecture, addressing what and how to document. It helps separate concerns, improve communication, and ensure consistency. However, it may lead to over-documentation and maintenance challenges. Visualizing software architecture using the C4 model, developed by Simon Brown, offers a way to represent system structures at different levels of abstraction. The model simplifies complex architectures into four levels, aiding in understanding and consistency. Using tools like Structurizr DSL allows for creating and updating architecture diagrams as code, enabling version control, consistency, and automation. Integrating arc42 with the C4 model involves mapping sections of the arc42 template to C4 diagrams, enhancing documentation close to the code. This approach supports maintaining a clear and up-to-date understanding of software architectures.
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2 commentswhile postman is great for non-technical people, and it certainly can be a component in an architectural description effort, just cause you're using postman doesn't mean you're "doing" C4 or using an ADL. It's like saying you're agile because you're using JIRA.
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