Software Architecture Redefined

'Y' Should one use VisiSoft

2008-02-25T14:48:00.009-05:00

I am a person who loves conversations, debates and a bit of banter now and then. Me and my dad have conversations, me and my mom have conversations but once it comes to a conversation with my friends, I hear this word 'Why' a lot. I would not take the liberty to say that my mom and dad are not inquisitive about things anymore, however i ll have to say the probability of hearing 'Why' in a conversation among friends is all the more likely.

The new generation of Engineers always are inquisitive and want to know the rationale behind 'everything.' I dunno who started calling our generation as the 'Y-generation' but i believe its an apt description.

So Y should you use VisiSoft at the first place. This post is my perspective of this tool, and the benefits that i have perceived during my tenure here at PSI.

Every piece of software has a structure, and this helps in Visualization of the software
Each piece of software can be re-used, if appropriately designed, using copy-paste buttons
Data is separated from instructions

Mapping can be established from the structure of the program to the source code
Once data structures are designed they can be locked from the programmer implementing the logic, so that design is not tampered with

These, i am sure are only a subset of the benefits of VisiSoft.

Let me use an example to drive home the first benefit of VisiSoft. I am gonna show you the structure of a small application (this is a toy example when compared to the stuff that goes on in VisiSoft). The program is an implementation of the Shortest Path First using the Dijkstra's Algorithm.

There are some intricate details that the user need to be aware of, to implement a VisiSoft program, but for now lets start with the basics.

We can see from the figure that we essentially have 2 types of figures as part of the entire structure. Ovals and Rectangles. Ovals represent data elements, referred to as 'Resources' and Rectangles represent code elements referred to as 'Processes'.

I believe this figure in itself is a throw back to the history of programming languages. Data separated from instructions is a long-forgotten phenomenon but never was it used with such simplicity. We apparently have huge number of benefits with this philosophy, and i would dedicate a post in the future addressing this issue.

This figure is a run-time screen shot of the application whose structure is seen above.

We have various features in the application, such as adding nodes, changing the start node, changing the weight the edge, etc etc.

And any programmer who would try implementing this would agree that, this is not as trivial as it was made out to be (when i said a toy example). Most people usually use an example of "HelloWorld" for introducing a programming paradigm, and I for one do not believe that a program of such triviality should ever be used as an example. Thats making things too simplistic.

I would use the next post to explain the steps to be followed to build such an application in VisiSoft and i believe i can pursue my colleagues here at PSI to host an executable that could install VisiSoft on the machine, and you can contact me for getting a student version serial code to activate it. Please do comment on this post and that would help me design my next to best suit the interests of the reader.

Adios
Madhu

VisiSoft - Taking software architecture to its roots - Intro II

2008-02-13T12:49:00.000-05:00

I (along with may be a million others...) have always looked forward to a day when i would find myself as THE person behind THE most successful/sold/money-spinning software ever designed. For this end I ventured into learning the nuances in the science of computers and software to improve my skill-set. The intention was to get into a firm that could realize this dream for me, and here i am at Prediction Systems which might be one of the potential dream-realizers.

I was a firm believer of the theory that one who comes up with THE ALGORITHM that would save space or would be ‘n’ times faster than the existing best solution is the person who is more likely prone to be successful. Because, I grew up in an environment where in getting a executable code that runs faster than some ‘x’ solution or which requires half the space than some ‘y’ solution would get the best credit (not that i am blaming any of the schools or colleges that i went to, but thats a reality). Now that i am a veteran (really??) of an year or so in the industry, I realize that an executable code is only say 10% of the work done may be less who knows.

In my view, the major factors that effect the success of a software are it's Understandability, Re-usability, and Maintainability not necessarily put in the order of their prominence. I know this is jumping a little too early into unknown waters but...let me try. I would use this space to put these points across to the readers with the help of a development environment. It in fact is about a development environment Visual Software Environment here since referred to as VSE a product of VisiSoft which enables or rather forces these ‘major factors’ to stick together and makes them work together. Do not be under the impression that..the content is gonna be self indulgent. I believe in the philosophy behind the tool and this is my personal endeavour to put it across. I have got selfish motive as well, i wanna judge myself ...(i.e. whether i am biased or am i still the rational me)

I would come back with an introductory post about the tool itself..
refer visisoft.us , if you can wait no further to know about the tool and the philosophy behind it.

Adios
Madhu

VisiSoft - Taking software architecture to its roots - My Intro

2008-02-11T15:39:00.000-05:00

hey guys,

I would like to use this blog space to put across my views on Software Architecture, the way I see it, the way I perceive it and the way I use it. In this post, well i guess i should talk a lil about myself. I work for a small firm (well should say a tiny firm) called PredictionSystems Inc. Dont ask me what we predict, because from the day i started working for this company, the company made a policy decision to at least stop predicting personnel (well they learnt it the hard way..by predicting me to be the best thing that could have happened to the company).

I was treated as if I was the Special One ala Mourinho (for English Premier League ignorants Former Chelsea Manager), waiting in the wilderness to turn this company into a MNC overnight. Well I almost met the same fate as Mr. Mourinho, but my some special grace i am still with prediction systems doing some thing i love doing, building software systems.

Guys, this was a prelude sortaah thing....please go through the website before you catch up with my next post ..

www.visisoft.us

This is subsidiary of the company for which i work..the website is not an eye candy but tell you what just go through some of the documents and i bet that it has some neat geeky stuff..that would grab the attention of your eyeballs and prolly..rake up some neurons as well.

i ll cach you guys soon....