The 4+1 View of Architecture

Summary of the Architectural Blueprints - The 4+1 View Model of Software Architecture by Philippe Kruchten

In this article the writer attempts to add a new twist to the general definition of architecture that we have witnessed so far in our readings. He agrees with the definition by Perry and Wolfe that Software architecture = {Elements, Forms, Rationale/Constraints} and applies this definition to 4+1 views, primarily represented by the way the various stakeholders view the system. The +1, to me, is what separates this definition of architecture from the others we previously saw because it makes the scenarios (use-cases) a key part of the architecture and thus provides a means of validating the architecture. Also as the writer mentions, besides the scenario view, the other 4 views can be omitted based on the architectural needs of the system.