Adaptive Object Models

The Adaptive Object-Model Architectural Style

Joseph W. Yoder & Ralph Johnson

Abstract: We have noticed a common architecture in many systems that emphasize flexibility and run-time configuration. In these systems, business rules are stored externally to the program such as in a database or XML files. The object model that the user cares about is part of the database, and the object model of the code is just an interpreter of the users’ object model. We call these systems “Adaptive Object-Models”, because the users’ object model is interpreted at runtime and can be changed with immediate (but controlled) effects on the system interpreting it. The real power in Adaptive Object-Models is that the definition of a domain model and rules for its integrity can be configured by domain experts external to the execution of the program. These systems are important when flexibility and dynamic runtime configuration is needed, but their architectures have yet to be described in detail. This paper describes the Adaptive Object-Model architecture style along with its strengths and weaknesses. It illustrates the Adaptive Object-Model architectural style by outlining examples of production systems.

Check out the Adaptive Object Model site.

PairWriting - World's Most Productive Large Java Project

Recently, I had to complete a research paper on distributed programming for the Agile 2006 Conference in a two day weekend. Russian XP expert and project leader, Anton Viktorov, flew into Boston from St. Petersburg to help write up the SirsiDynix project. Over 1,000,000 lines of code were written in record time by a set of Java teams distributed across Utah, Colorado, Canada and Russia.

StarSoft Development Labs, the leading XP shop in Russia, was selected as a partner by Scrum company, SirsiDynix, to replace a large library system installed at over 12,500 sites worldwide. CTO Jack Blount, formerly COO of Borland, ran the project as a distributed Scrum of Scrums with individual teams distributed across geographies. Anton had been pair programming for years at StarSoft Labs with little experience writing research papers. I had over 20 years experience writing research papers and 13 years of Scrum. We decided we better pair write the paper to meet our two day deadline in the middle of a Boston blizzard. I did most of the coding as he framed the details of the project. The SirsiDynix/StarSoft 56-person distributed Java team was as productive as a 6 person colocated team using Scrum. Unbelievable! Needless to say, we pair wrote the research paper in record time. You can judge the result for yourself at the ScrumAlliance site. See:

Sutherland, J., Viktorov, A., and Blount, J. (2006) Distributed Scrum: Agile Project Management with Outsourced Development Teams. Submitted to Agile 2006, Minneapolis, July 23-28.