Chapter 4 Form
4.1 Introduction
We begin Part 2 with Form. This chapter lays the groundwork for the analysis of architecture by first defining its most concrete aspect, form. We will discuss form as an idea, the organization of form by decomposition and hierarchy, and the representation of form. Establishing a clear understanding of form is the foundation for the analysis of architecture.
We begin Chapter 4 with a rigorous discussion of form in Sections 4.2 and 4.3 and then address formal relationships in Section 4.4. The context that surrounds the form of the system is described in Section 4.5. Section 4.6 reviews the main ideas of form again via an example of a software system, the bubblesort algorithm.
In each of the chapters in Part 2, we will begin with a list of questions that guide us in the analysis of form and suggest the outline of the chapter. Table 4.1 also contains the outcomes produced by answering the questions.
Table 4.1 | Questions for defining form
| Question | Produces |
|---|---|
|
An object that defines the abstraction of form for the system |
|
A set of objects that represent the first and potentially second level downward abstractions of the decomposed system |
|
A set of spatial and connectivity relationships among the objects at any level of decomposition |
|
A set of objects in the whole product system that are essential for the delivery of value—and the relationships to those accompanying systems |
|
A clear definition of the boundary between system and context and a definition of the interfaces |
|
A set of objects that are not essential to value delivery, but thatestablish place, inform function, and influence design |