Synchronizing Cardinality-Based Feature Models and Their Specializations

A software product line comprises a set of products implementing different configurations of features. The set of valid feature configurations within a product line can be described by a feature model. In some practical situations, a feature configuration needs to be derived in stages by creating a series of successive specializations of the initial feature model. In this paper, we consider the scenario where changes to the feature model due to, for example, the evolution of the product line, need to be propagated to its existing specializations and configurations. After discussing general dimensions of model synchronization, a solution to synchronizing cardinality-based feature models and their specializations and configurations is presented.

[1]  Igor Ivkovic,et al.  Tracing evolution changes of software artifacts through model synchronization , 2004, 20th IEEE International Conference on Software Maintenance, 2004. Proceedings..

[2]  Ian Sommerville,et al.  Schema evolution in OODBs using class versioning , 1993, SGMD.

[3]  Philip A. Bernstein,et al.  A vision for management of complex models , 2000, SGMD.

[4]  Elke A. Rundensteiner,et al.  A Transparent Schema-Evolution System Based on Object-Oriented View Technology , 1997, IEEE Trans. Knowl. Data Eng..

[5]  Awais Rashid,et al.  A database evolution approach for object-oriented databases , 2001, Proceedings IEEE International Conference on Software Maintenance. ICSM 2001.

[6]  Krzysztof Czarnecki,et al.  Staged configuration through specialization and multilevel configuration of feature models , 2005, Softw. Process. Improv. Pract..

[7]  Krzysztof Czarnecki,et al.  Formalizing cardinality-based feature models and their specialization , 2005, Softw. Process. Improv. Pract..

[8]  Tom Mens,et al.  Using Description Logic to Maintain Consistency between UML Models , 2003, UML.

[9]  Jonathan Sprinkle.  Model Migration through Visual Modeling , 2003 .

[10]  Erhard Rahm,et al.  Rondo: a programming platform for generic model management , 2003, SIGMOD '03.

[11]  Jean Bézivin,et al.  First Experiments with a ModelWeaver , 2004 .

[12]  Don S. Batory,et al.  Feature Models, Grammars, and Propositional Formulas , 2005, SPLC.

[13]  Tom Mens,et al.  Towards a Taxonomy of Software Evolution , 2003 .

[14]  Paul Clements,et al.  Software product lines - practices and patterns , 2001, SEI series in software engineering.

[15]  Michal Antkiewicz,et al.  FeaturePlugin: feature modeling plug-in for Eclipse , 2004, eclipse '04.

[16]  Kyo Chul Kang,et al.  Feature-Oriented Domain Analysis (FODA) Feasibility Study , 1990 .