Our new IDE-resident product Structure101 Workspace includes some of the visualization and specification concepts from Structure101 Studio, but in a simpler and entirely new combination that is specifically designed for programmers.
The visualization is similar to the Studio LSM – in Workspace we call it the Structure Map – but unlike the LSM, you can overlay a Structure Spec onto the visualization, letting you browse the as-built dependency details through the specified architecture. And of course being in the IDE you can navigate between visualization and code very easily.
“It’s like Google Maps for your code!”- Stephan Schulze, Pentasys
A key feature is spotlighting, which highlights a specific item, exposes all its (in- and out-bound) dependent items, and hides everything else, showing the resulting filtered details in the context of the overall architecture. The spotlight can be controlled manually, or automatically follow the editor. Chasing code-level dependencies across your architecture was never so easy.
By showing dependencies related to what you are working on right now, in the context of the architecture, the architecture genuinely guides developers as they code (kind of the point of architecture!).
Behind the visualization is a live model of the workspace as it is now, including the changes you just made. In fact changes are emphasized so you can see how they impact the structure, and be warned if you violate any layering or visibility constraints.
We believe that the whole team will benefit from an increased appreciation for good structure (no more tangles!), and a shared (checked!) understanding of the architecture. Not to mention newcomers who will no longer need to spend months reconstructing a mental model of the architecture from the code, messing it up as they go…
Improved structure from the deeper levels meets architectural specs from the top, and agility wins.
[embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_SItZg-KaM[/embedyt]
Workspace can be used as a stand-alone product, and comes with it’s own light-weight Structure Spec Editor. Or Workspace can be used with Studio 5 which has a more sophisticated Structure Spec Editor, and let’s you use the other Studio features (like restructuring simulation) in combination.
If you currently use Structure101 Studio 4 along with the lightweight IDE plugin, you will find Studio 5 plus Workspace a much more powerful combination. The upgrade considerations are outlined in this upgrade guide.
It’s also worth noting that the price of Workspace is a lot lower than the price of Studio – it’s an every developer product. Details here. Download trial here.
Questions and comments as always very welcome at support@structure101.com.
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