Layered Component Framework  [ComponentDesignPatterns |
CategoryComponents | CategoryPattern | CategoryFramework ]     A
newer version will be published soon that includes feedback from
a PLoP'00 workshop and discussion on SevenPlusOrMinusTwo as a
potential force that makes dealing with architecture or
development of frameworks difficult. Either it's coincidence, or
a mental issue, that too many moving parts in any given
abstraction of an architecture might make it difficult to think
of at once. It also turns out that most of these with 9+ layers
are very difficult to integrate and/or debug.  An old version of
the LayeredComponentFramework pattern can be found in the paper
entitled Layering Frameworks in Component-Based Development. See
ComponentDesignPatternsContext has a running discussion about
the definition of a component. NatPryce pointed out that part of
that definition should include component frameworks. Also see
ComponentDesignPatternsDiscussion.  Nat, I think you're onto
something. At first when y