Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

Product family engineering (PFE) is successfully applied in different kinds of software intensive systems. As there are several ways to apply PFE, selecting an appropriate approach is a complex task. This paper introduces six ways to set the goal of PFE and eight strategies to achieve the goal. It also introduces steps how to evaluate which strategy provides the best fit for a company. The criteria for selecting a strategy have been derived from seventeen case studies, including nineteen product families, in the various contexts provided by small, medium size and large companies.

Domain-Specific Modeling offers a language-based approach to raise the level of abstraction in order to speed up development work and set variation space already at specification and design phase. In this paper we identify approaches that are applied for defining languages that enable automated variant derivation. This categorization is based on analyzing over 20 industrial cases of DSM language definition.

The promotion of a clear separation between artifact construction and artifact assembling is one of the hallmarks of software product lines. This work rests on the assumption that the mechanisms for producing products considerably quicker, cheaper or at a higher quality, rest not only on the artifacts but on the assembling process itself. This leads to promoting production processes as “first-class artifacts”, and as such, liable to vary to accommodate distinct features. Production process variability and its role to support either production features or production strategies are analyzed. As prove of concept, the AHEAD Tool Suite is used to support a sample application where features require variations on the production process.

A system family model (SFM) contains a set of common elements and a set of variable elements known as variation points. Variability modeling is a source of numerous problems: how to express variations, how to ensure the consistency of various views and avoid conflicts. Does the SFM cover all the desired systems? To obtain a specific system, known as "derivation", also known as a product, it is necessary to choose certain variation points from among those included in the SFM model by using a feature model (built during application domain analysis) or a decision model (after SF modelling). The SyF approach presented in this article proposes the "variation point propagation" concept as a means for achieving consistency and dealing with potential conflicts between variations. Under this approach, a decision model, generated from the SFM alone, then enables system family management: analyze coverage of the SF application domain, automate the derivation.