Architectural design | What is Architecture? | Difference between Architectural & Design

Introduction of Architectural design

• Architectural design represents
• The structure of data
• Program components ,that are required to build a computerbased system.
• Architectural design considers the architectural style that the system will take, 
• The structure and properties of the components that constitute the system, 
• The interrelationships that occur among all architectural components of a system.

What is Architecture?

• Bass, Clements, and Kazman define this term in the following way:
• The software architecture of a program or computing system is the structure or structures of the system, which comprise (include) software components, the externally visible properties of those components, and the relationships among them. 
• For example : It is something like building a home and prepare a model of it. Finally, it is an art. 
• The architecture is not the operational software. Rather, it is a representation that enables you to 
• (1) Analyze the effectiveness of the design in meeting its stated requirements, 
• (2) Consider architectural alternatives at a stage when making design changes is still relatively easy, 
• (3) Reduce the risks associated with the construction of the software.
• The definition emphasizes the role of “software components” in any architectural representation. 
• In the context of architectural design, a software component can be something as simple as a 
• Program module or an object-oriented class, 
• Database
• Middleware
• The properties of components are those characteristics that are necessary for an understanding of how the components interact with other components. 
• At the architectural level, internal properties (e.g., details of an algorithm) are not specified. 
• The relationships between components can be as simple as a procedure call from one module to another or as complex as a database access protocol.

Difference between Architectural & Design

• Introduction : 
• For example (For understanding purpose)
• When a builder uses the phrase “center hall colonial” to describe a house, most people familiar with houses in a general image of what the house will look like and what the floor plan is likely to be. 
• The builder has used an architectural style as a descriptive mechanism to differentiate the house from other styles (e.g., A-frame, raised ranch, Cape Cod). 
• The architectural style is also a template for construction. 
• Further details of the house must be defined, its final dimensions must be specified, customized features may be added, building materials are to be determined, but the style—a “center hall colonial”—guides the builder in his work. 
• software architecture represents a structure in which some collection of entities (often called components) is connected by a set of defined relationships (often called connectors). 
• Both components and connectors are associated with a set of properties that allow the designer to differentiate the types of components and connectors that can be used.