Data and Norm-aware Multiagent Systems for Software Modularization

This work surveys the key proposals to the modularization of software, and trace them back to the common ground provided by Meyer's three forces of computation: processor, object, and action. We advocate that a paradigm should provide a good balance in exploiting all such forces, and support this stance by explaining the weaknesses of the examined proposals. Then, we focus on the agent paradigm because it emerges as pivotal for the achievement of a good balance. We trace directions that we think should be followed in order to complete the model, identifying, in particular, in data-awareness jointly with a norm-based representation of how data evolution is governed the key advancements that would bring to fullness the modularization of software.