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Selected:SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method)Example MappingATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method)Specification by Example
| Criterion |  Architecture SAAM (Software Architecture Analysis Method) |  Agile Example Mapping |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Agile Specification by Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | SAAM helps teams judge an architecture’s suitability for selected tasks and changes. It is particularly useful for examining modifiability and comparing architecture alternatives with clear reasoning. | When a story carries business rules and exceptions, it brings clarity before implementation. It makes examples, open questions, and boundaries visible enough that the logic becomes jointly sound. | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | When business rules need to become precise, it ties language, example, and test together. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery ability. The result is captured as an Example Table and Acceptance Tests. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | Preparation, scenario analysis, and findings review; effort depends on scope | 30-60 min | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 60-90 min pro Feature |
Participantsdifferent | Architecture experts and stakeholders for scenarios and weighting | 3-7 | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 3-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Domain functions mapped to components and connections, Quality attributes and evaluation criteria, Typical tasks and their effects on the architecture, Reasoned evaluation or comparison of alternatives | Example Map, Acceptance Criteria, Open Questions | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Example Table, Acceptance Tests |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureChangeAnalysisComparisonQuality | Behavior-Driven DevelopmentRequirementsExamplesRefinement | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | AgileRequirementsExamplesBehavior-Driven Development |