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==Approaches to system architecture==
{{expand section|citations, an introduction, and context|date=September 2022}}
Architecture Description Languages (ADLs) are formal languages used to represent the architecture of software-intensive systems. They describe the components, connectors, and configurations that make up a system's architecture, facilitating communication among stakeholders and supporting analysis and documentation.
The academic approach to ADLs focuses on formal models and rigorous analysis. Languages in this approach emphasize precise specification of architectural elements and their interactions to analyze properties like performance, reliability, and security. Key features include rigorous modeling notations, formal methods for analysis, and specialized solutions tailored to specific domains or architectural styles. Examples include ''Rapide'', ''MetaH'', and ''Wright''.
Conversely, the industrial approach emphasizes practicality and integration into existing development workflows. These ADLs prioritize ease of use and broad applicability across domains, often supporting multiple architectural views to address diverse stakeholder needs. Industrial ADLs trade some formal rigor for usability and versatility. Notable examples are ''ArchiMate'', the ''Architecture Analysis & Design Language'' (AADL), ''EAST-ADL'' for automotive systems, and ''Executable UML''.
Choosing between academic and industrial approaches depends on system complexity, the need for formal verification, and ___domain-specific requirements.
<ref>{{cite book |last=Shaw |first=M. |title=Software Architecture: Perspectives on an Emerging Discipline |last2=Garlan |first2=D. |publisher=Prentice Hall |year=1996 |isbn=978-0131829573}}</ref> <ref>{{cite journal |last=Medvidovic |first=N. |last2=Taylor |first2=R.N. |year=2000 |title=A Classification and Comparison Framework for Software Architecture Description Languages |journal=IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=70–93 |doi=10.1109/32.825767}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web |title=ArchiMate 3.1 Specification |url=https://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/archimate3-doc/ |accessdate=2025-08-08 |publisher=The Open Group}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web |title=AADL (Architecture Analysis & Design Language) |url=https://www.aadl.info/ |accessdate=2025-08-08}}</ref>
* Academic approach
** focus on analytic evaluation of architectural models
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