As an architect, you can specify the following characteristics of a black-box building block:

Compliance with functional requirements (A)

Compliance with non-functional requirements (B)

Purpose and/or responsibility (D)

Method signature of public interfaces (E)

Data formats of public interfaces (F)

In software architecture, a black-box building block is a component whose internal structure is not exposed to or understood by other components. It is defined only by its provided functionality and the services it offers. Here’s a detailed explanation of each characteristic:

Compliance with Functional Requirements (A): This refers to the ability of the building block to perform the functions it was designed to do, which are often captured in a functional specification document.

Compliance with Non-functional Requirements (B): These are criteria that can be used to judge the operation of a system, rather than specific behaviors. This includes requirements related to scalability, performance, security, and reliability.

Purpose and/or Responsibility (D): This defines the role the building block plays in the overall system architecture, including its responsibilities and the services it provides.

Method Signature of Public Interfaces (E): The method signature defines the interface that other components can use to interact with the building block. It includes the method name, parameters, and return type.

Data Formats of Public Interfaces (F): This specifies the format and structure of the data that is accepted or returned by the building block’s public interfaces.

These characteristics are essential for ensuring that the building block can be effectively integrated into a larger system and interact with other components as expected.

References:

Bass, L., Clements, P., & Kazman, R. (2012). Software Architecture in Practice (3rd ed.). Addison-Wesley Professional.

Martin, R. C. (2003). Agile Software Development: Principles, Patterns, and Practices. Prentice Hall.

Fowler, M. (2002). Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture. Addison-Wesley.