Applicability of controlled natural languages for architecture analysis and documentation: an industrial case study

S. Schröder, G. Buchgeher. Applicability of controlled natural languages for architecture analysis and documentation: an industrial case study. pages 190-196, DOI https://doi.org/10.1145/3344948.3344981, 9, 2019.

Autoren
  • Sandra Schröder
  • Georg Buchgeher
Editoren
  • L. Duchien
  • C. Trubiani
  • R. Scandariato
  • et al.
BuchProceedings of the 13th European Conference on Software Architecture - Volume 2 (ECSA '19)
TypIn Konferenzband
VerlagACM
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1145/3344948.3344981
ISBN978-1-4503-7142-1
Monat9
Jahr2019
Seiten190-196
Abstract

Formal approaches are a prerequisite for automated quality control. However, such approaches are often difficult to learn and apply and thus have not found their way into mainstream software development. Controlled natural languages (CNLs) seek to overcome the drawbacks of formal approaches by hiding their formality behind a restricted set of natural language, which is intended to be easier to use. In this paper, we analyze the applicability of CNLs for automated architecture analysis and as a means for architecture documentation in an industrial case study. We evaluated the CNL with 12 experienced practitioners in a focus group. The results show that practitioners perceive CNLs as an appropriate and an understandable means for formalizing and documenting architectural rules. Even without verifying rules automatically, a project can benefit from such languages, since they allow to find a common sense about architecture concepts and relations and to use those concepts and relations consistently throughout the development and evolution phase.