This report describes a new architecture description language called SADL, intended for the expression of software architecture hierarchies that are to be analyzed formally. The SADL language can be used to specify both the structure and the semantics of an architecture, but our main focus has been on the former. The interesting features in SADL include support for explicit mappings between architectures, generic architectures, architectural styles (including well-formedness constraints), and architecture refinement patterns that provide routine solutions to common design problems. SADL is programming language independent, but can be tailored to model programs in most conventional programming languages.

• sadl-intro.ps