Reference model: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:18, 26 June 2021

Revision as of 22:37, 28 February 2022

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== The uses of a reference model ==

There are many uses for a reference model. One use is to create standards for both the objects that inhabit the model and their relationships to one another. By creating standards, the work of engineers and developers who need to create objects that behave according to the standard is made easier. Software can be written that meets a standard, and developers can copy that software to use it again, or build a [[software factory]] that generates that code. When done well, a standard can make use of [[design patterns]] that support key qualities of software, such as the ability to extend the software in an inexpensive way.

Another use of a reference model is to educate. Using a reference model, leaders in software development can help break down a large problem space into smaller problems that can be understood, tackled, and refined. Developers who are new to a particular set of problems can quickly learn what the different problems are, and can focus on the problems that they are being asked to solve, while trusting that other areas are well understood and rigorously constructed. The level of trust is important to allow software developers to efficiently focus on their work.