[comp.software-eng] Definition for "Integration"

abbott@aerospace.aero.org (Russell J. Abbott) (07/24/89)

Does anyone have a good definition for "integration" in systems?  What
I'm looking for is a specification that requires system components to
work together.   In an integrated system, for example:

(a) If a component C2 takes as input the logical (from the user's perspective) 
output of another component C1, then it should be possible to compose the two 
components as in C2(C1(X)).

(b) Similarly, in a mouse-based environment, given the input/output
relationship between components C1 and C2 described in (a) but where
input and output are provided interactively by the user it should be
possible to point to C1's output as a way of specifying C2's input.

What I'm looking for is a formal/rigorous way of saying this--and any
other useful requirements about integration.

-- Russ