On a Feature-Oriented Characterization of Exception Flows in Software Product Lines

The Exception Handling (EH) is a widely used mechanism for building robust systems. In Software Product Line (SPL) context it is not different. As EH mechanisms are embedded in most of mainstream programming languages, we can find exception signalers and handlers spread over code assets associated to common and variable SPL features. When exception signalers and handlers are added to an SPL in an unplanned way, one of the possible consequences is the generation of faulty family instances (i.e., instances on which common or variable features signal exceptions that are mistakenly caught inside the system). This paper reports a first systematic study, based on manual inspection and static code analysis, in order to categorize the possible ways exceptions flow in SPLs, and analyze its consequences. Fault-prone exception handling flows were consistently detected during this study, such as flows on which a variable feature signaled an exception a different variable feature handled it.