Designing adaptable software-parametrization of volatile properties

The author presents and discusses the PoVP (parametrization of volatile properties) approach to the design of adaptable software. It is based on a combination of analysis of volatile properties, program structuring and parameterization. Two main questions are addressed: Which volatile characteristics of the working environment of a piece of software are related to volatile software properties? How and for whom is the change in volatile software properties going to be supported by software adaptability? PoVP is qualified by means of a fictitious redesign of a real-world information system characterized by huge adaptability problems. The redesign strongly suggests that parameterization of volatile properties is a valuable supplement to program structuring when software adaptability is an important software property