Multiple viewpoints for the development of complex software

The motivation of this paper is to study how to take into account and to model the various types of knowledge involved in large and complex software design (LCSD) processes. The main claim is to refute the classical centralised way of achieving software development. On the contrary one shall dramatically improve the conduct of a project when organizing the coexistence of several viewpoints on the project. Moreover, within a LCSD it is impossible to follow an exhaustive, analytical method because of the phenomenon of complexity attested by the simultaneous existence of these different viewpoints. To make the different viewpoints cooperate, one must not only represent each of them but also manage their various correlations and make their clustering possible. Each viewpoint is implemented by a knowledge-based system (KBS) and a cluster of viewpoints by a federated knowledge-based system (FKBS).<<ETX>>