The CSDL Model for Cooperative Systems Design

Abstract

Although synchronous cooperative systems have been a major research focus in computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) for over a decade, there is still a lack of general models supporting their specification and design. Cooperative systems design language (CSDL) is a language supporting the design of synchronous cooperative systems as modular, component-based, open distributed systems where a shared work space is implemented by either shared traditional single-user applications or dedicated cooperative applications. The architectural model underlying the language is based on a clean separation of concerns between the components implementing communication, coordination, shared workspace, and the users' interface and private functionality. The resulting systems can be easily tailored to different social contexts or different execution platforms through architectural reconfiguration or the substitution of single components. This article illustrates how this model applies to the design of different classes of cooperative systems, aimed at supporting different social processes, and hence, characterized by different functional requirements. Namely, we discuss the design of communication-oriented systems (such as electronic blackboards), cooperation-oriented systems (such as shared editors), and process-oriented systems (such as prescriptive group decision support systems and workflow management systems).