Practical Software Factories in .NET [Paperback]

The Software Factory methodology is based on recognition of these similarities and a drive to extend the concept of reusability to the point where we achieve entirely automated product lines. Based on an analysis and understanding of the common features and techniques of a set of applications, a Software Factory defines a tailored, end-to-end methodology for building these applications. At the heart of the Software factory methodology is the concept of Domain Specific Languages (DSLs), which in essence are development environments specifically tailored to the set of applications in hand. It removes a certain degree of flexibility but greatly enhances productivity by removing a lot of the coding complexity (for an analogy, consider the use of the now ubiquitous drag-and-drop controls in Winforms or Visual Basic).

Further, in the SF methodology, patterns, process advice, and best practices can be harvested and applied for all applications in the set.

There are some good books on the theory of SF already on the market. Up until this point, a lot of these concepts were fairly theoretical and abstract.

For the first time, with this book, .NET developers and architects can see how to put new method to practical use in real projects. Every chapter is accompanied with hands-on examples performed on a real-world case study, using Microsoft's Software Factory tools. Software Factories are Microsoft's vision of the future of software development.

Douglas C. Schmidt Professor of Computer Science, Associate Chair of Computer Science and Engineering Vanderbilt University T he evolution of software technologies over the past five decades has involved the creation of languages and platforms that help developers program more in terms of their design intent, such as architectural concepts and abstractions, and shield them from the complexities of the underlying computing substrate, such as CPU, memory, and netwlãì