Software Factory (Microsoft .NET)
Encyclopedia
A software factory is a collection of software for creating specific types of software. A software factory may include processes, templates, Integrated development environment
configurations and views. The type of software a factory may produce is defined when the factory is created. Software factories help structure the development process.
Although the term "software factory" is used by Microsoft
in association with their .NET Framework
, software factories
are much broader in use and application.
Integrated development environment
An integrated development environment is a software application that provides comprehensive facilities to computer programmers for software development...
configurations and views. The type of software a factory may produce is defined when the factory is created. Software factories help structure the development process.
Although the term "software factory" is used by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
in association with their .NET Framework
.NET Framework
The .NET Framework is a software framework that runs primarily on Microsoft Windows. It includes a large library and supports several programming languages which allows language interoperability...
, software factories
Software factory
In software engineering and enterprise software architecture, a software factory is an organizational structure that specializes in producing computer software applications or software components according to specific, externally-defined end-user requirements through an assembly process...
are much broader in use and application.
Implementations
- The EFx FactoryEFx FactoryThe EFx Factory is a pioneering Architectural Guidance Software Factory from Microsoft, and one of the first implementations of a software factory to be built.The ‘EFx Factory’ implements the for Service-Oriented applications and services....
from Microsoft Services was one of the first pioneering architectural software factories to use a unique combination of model driven developmentModel-driven engineeringModel-driven engineering is a software development methodology which focuses on creating and exploiting domain models , rather than on the computing concepts...
, and integrated runtimeRun-time systemA run-time system is a software component designed to support the execution of computer programs written in some computer language...
environment tools to build Service-OrientedService-oriented architectureIn software engineering, a Service-Oriented Architecture is a set of principles and methodologies for designing and developing software in the form of interoperable services. These services are well-defined business functionalities that are built as software components that can be reused for...
Enterprise Applications and Services. - Microsoft Patterns and Practices Team have developed four software factories:
- Smart Client Software Factory, for Visual Studio 2008 (released: April 2008)
- Web Service Software Factory (released: July 2006 and updated December 2006, a new Service Factory : Modeling Edition version (incompatible with the previous ones) released on November 2007)
- Mobile Client Software Factory (released: July 2006)
- Project Glidepath is a Micro ISVMicro ISVA Micro-ISV , a term coined by Eric Sink, is an independent software vendor with fewer than 10 or even just one software developer...
-oriented Software Factory, also from MicrosoftMicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
. - NConstruct is Windows and Web rapid enterprise application development tool and environment for .NET Framework.NET FrameworkThe .NET Framework is a software framework that runs primarily on Microsoft Windows. It includes a large library and supports several programming languages which allows language interoperability...
environment.