Templates and resources in software development methodologies

A great deal of effort is needed to construct software products in a predictable and repeatablemanner. Having a precisely defined methodology in place can certainly help, especially if itincludes the comprehensive specification of the process to be followed and the work products tobe created. However, a convenient integration of these two aspects (process and work product)has not yet been performed. This paper presents a new approach to the definition ofmethodologies that supports the process and work product domains concurrently through thespecification of discrete methodology elements. Some of these elements, called here templates,are designed to be instantiated during the use of the methodology in specific projects, whileothers, called resources, are intended to be used directly. Theoretical and practical implicationsof this division, especially regarding metamodelling and the use of powertypes, are explored. Theproposed metamodelling approach is shown to facilitate the precise and complete specification ofcomprehensive methodologies, establishing the foundations for predictable and repeatableresults from software development.