Encapsulation and Sharing in Dynamic Software Architectures: The Hypercell Framework.

We present in this paper a novel framework for the definition of formal software component models, called the Hypercell framework. Models in this framework (hypercell models) allow the definition of dynamic software architectures featuring shared components, and different forms of encapsulation policies. Encapsulation policies in an hypercell model are enforced by means of runtime checks that prevent a component, in a given context, to evolve in violation of these policies. We present the main elements of the framework, its operational semantics and the first elements of its behavioral theory. We give some results concerning its ability to express different forms of composition, and show by means of examples its ability to deal with sharing and different forms of encapsulation.