CBD is the real deal

Software Magazine, July, 1998 by Dan Kara

Another feature of component development technologies and techniques is that they can support both high-end and low-end systems development efforts. For large-scale system building, for example, component approaches must be coupled with some type of up-front analysis and design. However, a lack of formal analysis and design in no way prevents successful employment of other component technologies and techniques.

Thankfully, component-based development is not the latest in a long line of silver bullets. There can be no silver bullet solution -- the fundamental nature of software and its development precludes it. More importantly, CBD does not share many of the failings of previous silver bullets. The approach is proven, supports both bottom-up and top-down development, and can be used to build simple applications or the most complex of business systems. It does not require specialized methodologies to be effective, but formal methods and the component approach can be used together. Unlike silver bullets, component development is not a new, radical method for software development. Developers have been using component technology and techniques successfully for years and the approach is now being extended to other technologies and areas of applicability. No, CBD is not a silver bullet solution. It is simply a better way to build and integrate software.

Dan Kara is principal of the Intermedia Group, a research and consulting firm specializing in corporate application development, Internet transaction processing, and advanced execution architectures.