Article

Evaluating a textual feature modelling language: four industrial case studies

Authors:

Quentin Boucher,

Herman Hartmann,

Raphaël Michel,

Patrick HeymansAuthors Info & Claims

SLE'10: Proceedings of the Third international conference on Software language engineering

Pages 337 - 356

Published: 12 October 2010 Publication History

Abstract

Feature models are commonly used in software product line engineering as a means to document variability. Since their introduction, feature models have been extended and formalised in various ways. The majority of these extensions are variants of the original tree-based graphical notation. But over time, textual dialects have also been proposed. The textual variability language (TVL) was proposed to combine the advantages of both graphical and textual notations. However, its benefits and limitations have not been empirically evaluated up to now. In this paper, we evaluate TVL with four cases from companies of different sizes and application domains. The study shows that practitioners can benefit from TVL. The participants appreciated the notation, the advantages of a textual language and considered the learning curve to be gentle. The study also reveals some limitations of the current version of TVL.

References

[1]

Kang, K., Cohen, S., Hess, J., Novak, W., Peterson, S.: Feature-oriented domain analysis (foda) feasibility study. Technical Report CMU/SEI-90-TR-21, SEI, Carnegie Mellon University (November 1990).

[2]

Pohl, K., Bockle, G., van der Linden, F.: Software Product Line Engineering: Foundations, Principles and Techniques. Springer, Heidelberg (2005).

Digital Library

[3]

Czarnecki, K., Helsen, S., Eisenecker, U.W.: Formalizing cardinality-based feature models and their specialization. Software Process: Improvement and Practice 10(1), 7-29 (2005).

[4]

Schobbens, P.Y., Heymans, P., Trigaux, J.C., Bontemps, Y.: Generic semantics of feature diagrams. Computer Networks, Special Issue on Feature Interactions in Emerging Application Domains, 38 (2006).

[5]

pure-systems GmbH: Variant management with pure: variants. Technical White Paper (2006), http://www.pure-systems.com/fileadmin/downloads/ pv-whitepaper-en-04.pdf

[6]

van Deursen, A., Klint, P.: Domain-specific language design requires feature descriptions. Journal of Computing and Information Technology 10, 2002 (2002).

[7]

Batory, D.S.: Feature models, grammars, and propositional formulas. In: Obbink, H., Pohl, K. (eds.) SPLC 2005. LNCS, vol. 3714, pp. 7-20. Springer, Heidelberg (2005).

Digital Library

[8]

Boucher, Q., Classen, A., Faber, P., Heymans, P.: Introducing TVL, a text-based feature modelling language. In: VaMoS 2010, University of Duisburg-Essen, pp. 159-162 (January 2010).

[9]

Czarnecki, K.: From feature to concept modeling. In: VaMoS 2010, University of Duisburg-Essen, 11 Keynote (January 2010).

[10]

Nestor, D., O'Malley, L., Sikora, E., Thiel, S.: Visualisation of variability in software product line engineering. In: VaMoS 2007 (2007).

[11]

Cawley, C., Healy, P., Botterweck, G., Thiel, S.: Research tool to support feature configuration in software product lines. In: VaMoS 2010, University of Duisburg-Essen, pp. 179-182 (January 2010).

[12]

Dordowsky, F., Hipp, W.: Adopting software product line principles to manage software variants in a complex avionics system. In: SPLC 2009, San Francisco, CA, USA, pp. 265- 274 (2009).

Digital Library

[13]

Classen, A., Boucher, Q., Faber, P., Heymans, P.: The TVL Specification. Technical report, PReCISE Research Centre, Univ. of Namur (2009).

[14]

Shull, F., Singer, J., Sjøberg, D.I.K.: Guide to Advanced Empirical Software Engineering. Springer-Verlag New York, Inc., Secaucus (2007).

Digital Library

[15]

Schobbens, P.Y., Heymans, P., Trigaux, J.C., Bontemps, Y.: Feature Diagrams: A Survey and A Formal Semantics. In: RE 2006, pp. 139-148 (September 2006).

Digital Library

[16]

Antkiewicz, M., Czarnecki, K.: Featureplugin: feature modeling plug-in for eclipse. In: OOPSLA 2004, pp. 67-72 (2004).

Digital Library

[17]

Beuche, D.: Modeling and building software product lines with pure: variants. In: SPLC 2008: Proceedings of the 2008 12th International Software Product Line Conference, Washington, DC, USA, p. 358. IEEE Computer Society, Los Alamitos (2008).

Digital Library

[18]

Kästner, C., Thüm, T., Saake, G., Feigenspan, J., Leich, T., Wielgorz, F., Apel, S.: FeatureIDE: A tool framework for feature-oriented software development. In: Proceedings of ICSE 2009, pp. 311-320 (2009).

Digital Library

[19]

Krueger, C.W.: Biglever software gears and the 3-tiered spl methodology. In: OOPSLA 2007: Companion to the 22nd ACM SIGPLAN Conference on Object-Oriented Programming Systems and Applications Companion, pp. 844-845. ACM, New York (2007).

Digital Library

[20]

Mendonca, M., Branco, M., Cowan, D.: S.p.l.o.t. - software product lines online tools. In: Proceedings of OOPSLA 2009, pp. 761-762 (2009).

Digital Library

[21]

Mendonça, M.: Efficient Reasoning Techniques for Large Scale Feature Models. PhD thesis, University of Waterloo (2009).

[22]

Reiser, M.O.: Core concepts of the compositional variability management framework (cvm). Technical report, Technische Universität Berlin (2009).

[23]

Abele, A., Johansson, R., Lo, H., Papadopoulos, Y., Reiser, M.O., Servat, D., Torngren, M., Weber, M.: The cvm framework - a prototype tool for compositional variability management. In: Proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems (VaMoS 2010), University of Duisburg-Essen, pp. 101-105 (January 2010).

[24]

Benavides, D., Segura, S., Trinidad, P., Cortés, A.R.: Fama: Tooling a framework for the automated analysis of feature models. In: Proceedings of VaMoS 2007, pp. 129-134 (2007).

[25]

Riebisch, M., Böllert, K., Streitferdt, D., Philippow, I.: Extending feature diagrams with uml multiplicities. In: IDPT 2002 (2002).

[26]

Czarnecki, K., Bednasch, T., Unger, P., Eisenecker, U.W.: Generative programming for embedded software: An industrial experience report. In: Batory, D., Blum, A., Taha, W. (eds.) GPCE 2002. LNCS, vol. 2487, pp. 156-172. Springer, Heidelberg (2002).

Digital Library

[27]

Pratt, T.W.: Programming Languages: Design and Implementation, 2nd edn., 604 pages. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1984).

Digital Library

[28]

Holtz, N., Rasdorf, W.: An evaluation of programming languages and language features for engineering software development. Engineering with Computers 3, 183-199 (1988).

[29]

PloneGov. (June 2010), http://www.plonegov.org/

[30]

Delannay, G., Mens, K., Heymans, P., Schobbens, P.Y., Zeippen, J.M.: Plonegov as an open source product line. In: OSSPL 2007, collocated with SPLC 2007 (2007)

[31]

Hubaux, A., Heymans, P., Benavides, D.: Variability modelling challenges from the trenches of an open source product line re-engineering project. In: SPLC 2008, Limerick, Ireland, pp. 55-64 (2008).

Digital Library

[32]

Unphon, H., Dittrich, Y., Hubaux, A.: Taking care of cooperation when evolving socially embedded systems: The plonemeeting case. In: CHASE 2009, collocated with ICSE 2009 (May 2009).

Digital Library

[33]

Océ Software Laboratories, S.A (June 2010), http://www.osl.be/

[34]

NXP Semiconductors (June 2010), http://www.nxp.com/

[35]

Virage Logic (June 2010), http://www.viragelogic.com/

[36]

Yin, R.K.: Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 3rd edn. Applied Social Research Methods, vol. 5. Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks (2002).

[37]

Sangwan, S., Hian, C.K.: User-centered design: marketing implications from initial experience in technology supported products. In: Press, I.C.S. (ed.) Engineering Management Conference, vol. 3, pp. 1042-1046 (2004).

Cited By

Nadi SKrüger S(2016)Variability Modeling of Cryptographic ComponentsProceedings of the 10th International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-Intensive Systems10.1145/2866614.2866629(105-112)Online publication date: 27-Jan-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2866614.2866629
Bąk KDiskin ZAntkiewicz MCzarnecki KWąsowski A(2016)ClaferSoftware and Systems Modeling (SoSyM)10.1007/s10270-014-0441-115:3(811-845)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10270-014-0441-1
Cordy MSchobbens PHeymans PLegay ANotkin DCheng BPohl K(2013)Beyond boolean product-line model checking: dealing with feature attributes and multi-featuresProceedings of the 2013 International Conference on Software Engineering10.5555/2486788.2486851(472-481)Online publication date: 18-May-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2486788.2486851
Show More Cited By

Recommendations

A feature-oriented requirements modelling language
RE '12: Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE 20th International Requirements Engineering Conference (RE)

In this paper, we present a feature-oriented requirements modelling language (FORML) for modelling the behavioural requirements of a software product line. FORML aims to support feature modularity and precise requirements modelling, and to ease the task ...
Yet another textual variability language?: a community effort towards a unified language
SPLC '21: Proceedings of the 25th ACM International Systems and Software Product Line Conference - Volume A

Variability models are commonly used to model commonalities and variability in a product line. There is a large variety of textual formats to represent and store variability models. This variety causes overhead to researchers and practitioners as they ...
On Language Levels for Feature Modeling Notations
SPLC '19: Proceedings of the 23rd International Systems and Software Product Line Conference - Volume B

Configuration is a key enabling technology for the engineering of systems and software as wells as physical goods. A selection of configuration options (aka. features) is often enough to automatically generate a product tailored to the needs of a ...

Comments

Information & Contributors

Information

Published In

cover image Guide Proceedings

SLE'10: Proceedings of the Third international conference on Software language engineering

October 2010

417 pages

ISBN:9783642194399

Editors:
Brian Malloy
Clemson University, Computer Science Dept., Clemson, SC
,
Steffen Staab
University of Koblenz, Institute for Computer Science, Koblenz, Germany
,
Mark Van Den Brand
Eindhoven University of Technology, Mathematics and Computer Science Dept., Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Publisher

Springer-Verlag

Berlin, Heidelberg

Publication History

Published: 12 October 2010

Qualifiers

Article

Contributors

Other Metrics

View Article Metrics

Bibliometrics & Citations

Bibliometrics

Article Metrics

6
Total Citations
View Citations
0
Total Downloads

Downloads (Last 12 months)0
Downloads (Last 6 weeks)0

Reflects downloads up to 02 Feb 2025

Other Metrics

View Author Metrics

Citations

Cited By

Nadi SKrüger S(2016)Variability Modeling of Cryptographic ComponentsProceedings of the 10th International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-Intensive Systems10.1145/2866614.2866629(105-112)Online publication date: 27-Jan-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2866614.2866629
Bąk KDiskin ZAntkiewicz MCzarnecki KWąsowski A(2016)ClaferSoftware and Systems Modeling (SoSyM)10.1007/s10270-014-0441-115:3(811-845)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10270-014-0441-1
Cordy MSchobbens PHeymans PLegay ANotkin DCheng BPohl K(2013)Beyond boolean product-line model checking: dealing with feature attributes and multi-featuresProceedings of the 2013 International Conference on Software Engineering10.5555/2486788.2486851(472-481)Online publication date: 18-May-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2486788.2486851
Acher MMichel RHeymans PCollet PLahire PRubin JBotterweck GLero AWeiss D(2012)Languages and tools for managing feature modelsProceedings of the Third International Workshop on Product LinE Approaches in Software Engineering10.5555/2666064.2666071(25-28)Online publication date: 4-Jun-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/2666064.2666071
Lettner DVierhauser MRabiser RGrünbacher PSantana de Almeida ESchwanninger CBenavides D(2012)Supporting end users with business calculations in product configurationProceedings of the 16th International Software Product Line Conference - Volume 110.1145/2362536.2362560(171-180)Online publication date: 2-Sep-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2362536.2362560
Boucher QPerrouin GHeymans PEisenecker UApel SGnesi S(2012)Deriving configuration interfaces from feature modelsProceedings of the 6th International Workshop on Variability Modeling of Software-Intensive Systems10.1145/2110147.2110152(37-44)Online publication date: 25-Jan-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2110147.2110152

View Options

View options

Figures

Tables

Media

View Table of Conten