Software Product Line Concepts Research Articles

Software product lines and features from the perspective of set theory with an application to feature location

Features are a central concept of Software Product Lines (SPLs). Over the last decades, several understandings of what features are have evolved. They have important similarities but also some differences. However, there is no unifying formal theory of features. We present a definition of features that is completely independent of the representation of features in software artifacts and a comprehensive categorization scheme for features. Based on this, we introduce a formal approach for feature-specific composition and decomposition of SPLs using set theory. We apply this approach to feature isolation as a prerequisite for feature location and provide a theoretical validation. For this purpose, we present programs that compose all possible systems for a given number of features and isolate each feature. By testing various conclusions based on this theory, we evaluate its soundness, consistency, and robustness. The results show under which conditions features can be successfully isolated and possibly located. In addition, we describe the current limitations of the approach and provide an outlook for future work.

A software R&D process tailoring method applying the software product line concepts

A software R&D process tailoring method applying the software product line concepts

Genetic Algorithm-based Test Generation for Software Product Line with the Integration of Fault Localization Techniques

In response to the highly competitive market and the pressure to cost-effectively release good-quality software, companies have adopted the concept of software product line to reduce development cost. However, testing and debugging of each product, even from the same family, is still done independently. This can be very expensive. To solve this problem, we need to explore how test cases generated for one product can be used for another product. We propose a genetic algorithm-based framework which integrates software fault localization techniques and focuses on reusing test specifications and input values whenever feasible. Case studies using four software product lines and eight fault localization techniques were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework. Discussions on factors that may affect the effectiveness of the proposed framework is also presented. Our results indicate that test cases generated in such a way can be easily reused (with appropriate conversion) between different products of the same family and help reduce the overall testing and debugging cost.

Modes in component behavior specification via EBP and their application in product lines

The concept of software product lines (SPL) is a modern approach to software development simplifying construction of related variants of a product thus lowering development costs and shortening time-to-market. In SPL, software components play an important role. In this paper, we show how the original idea of component mode can be captured and further developed in behavior specification via the formalism of extended behavior protocols (EBP). Moreover, we demonstrate how the modes in behavior specification can be used for modeling behavior of an entire product line. The main benefits include (i) the existence of a single behavior specification capturing the behavior of all product variants, and (ii) automatic verification of absence of communication errors among the cooperating components taking the variability into account. These benefits are demonstrated on a part of a non-trivial case study.

Applying software product line concepts in service orientation

Today's competitive business environment commands innovation, increasingly shorter time-to-market and efficiency. Product line technology, pioneered in manufacturing, is increasingly finding its way to the software sector allowing companies to sustain growth and achieve market success. Regardless of the domain, however, information systems have been behind all facets of business operations. Here, the emerging service oriented architectures can help provide the answers to the need for agility, versatility and economies. This effort introduces the concepts of software product lines and service orientation and explores their parallels. Next, it attempts to show the applicability of software product line methods to service orientation. Finally, the work discusses the main obstacles on the road to realising the synergy between these cutting-edge technologies.

Product lines for digital information products

The growth of the Web has fueled the creation, storage, and exchange of digital information products (DIPs), whose main purpose is the delivery of information, entertainment, education, or training. Very often, after their initial creation, the growing amount of content also leads to a more complicated maintenance, since updates typically occur rather often and the potential variability of modifications is not limited in advance. Moreover, commonalities between different parts of similar information products are not exploited, which often leads to redundancy. At the moment, there is hardly any attempt to compose information products from different sources and to produce more complex information products in a coordinated way. To help remedy this situation, this paper introduces the Product Lines for digitAl iNformation producTs ( PLANT) approach, which applies the concept of software product lines to DIPs. The PLANT approach explicitly manages the commonalities of similar DIPs by defining common requirements, limiting variability in advance, as well as planning and coordinating reuse. This article focuses on the modeling of such product lines. In particular, the developed general concepts will be exemplified throughout the paper in the area of e-learning, in which DIPs play an important role. The application of PLANT in other areas and an implemented tool that supports the creation of information products in a product line are outlined as well.

Transitioning legacy assets to a product line architecture

A successful software system evolves over time, but this evolution often occurs in an ad-hoc fashion. One approach to structure system evolution is the concept of software product lines where a core architecture supports a variety of application contexts. However, in practice, the high cost and high risks of redevelopment as well as the substantial investments made to develop the existing systems most often mandate significant leverage of the legacy assets. Yet, there is little guidance in the literature on how to transition legacy assets into a product line set-up. In this paper, we present RE-PLACE, an approach developed to support the transition of existing software assets towards a product line architecture while taking into account anticipated new system variants. We illustrate this approach with its application in an industrial setting.