Module Interconnection Languages

Abstract

Abstract Module interconnection languages are considered essential tools in the development of large software systems. The current state of the art in software development environments is due mainly to the pioneering work on module interconnection languages of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Module Interconnection Languages (MILs) provide formal grammer constructs for deciding the various module interconnection specifications required to assemble a complete software system. An MIL code listing is a formal description of the global structure of a software system. Automatic processing of these formal descriptions results in a verification of system integrity and intermodular compatibility. An MIL can be considered a structural design language because it states what the system modules are and how they fit together to implement the system's function. This is architectural design information. MILs are not concerned with what the system does (specification of information), how the major parts of the system are embedded into the organization (analysis of information), or how the individual modules implement their function (detailed design information). The major payoff of using MILs is during system design but substantial payoffs are also obtained during system integration, evolution, and maintenance.