Product derivation is the process of building a specific product from a software product line. Effective product derivation can improve software reuse productivity. Existing methods can only obtain abstract feature models, lacking detailed specifications of individual features. They are more about deriving code assets or class diagram templates without precise model descriptions for specific products. This article proposes a product derivation approach to obtain a formal specification of a specific product based on the feature model and formal specification. We use the integration ordering and behavior preserving integration techniques to integrate the formal specification for each feature pair. The method is divided into two steps. First, it determines the feature formal specification integration ordering based on the feature model. Then, the behavior-preserving integration will be conducted for pairs, including declaration integration, functional scenario path generation, and function integration based on path matching. Behavior preserving integration guarantees consistent behavior to ensure the quality of the formal specification after integration. Finally, we developed a support tool to conduct a case study. The tool first guides the user to perform feature functional scenario path matching, then performs functional integration based on the matching results and repeats the above steps to generate a product model. The result indicates that our method facilitates the derivation process and improves the quality of the generated models.
The product line approach enables the rapid building of software products by reusing core assets. How to manage the commonality and variability of product family is the core problem of product line engineering. The feature modeling approach is one of the main approaches to solve this problem. However, this approach does not define the internal functions of features. Some researchers use formal descriptions to define the function of features, but they do not consider the connection between feature specification and feature model. These product family modeling approaches result in product family models that suffer from inconsistent descriptions, which are difficult to resolve manually. To this end, this paper proposes a computer-aided approach to construct an internally consistent product family model. The method performs an inconsistency check during the formalization of each feature in the given initial feature model, pushing the evolution of the feature model and feature specification. The creation and evolution of feature models are achieved through a template-based feature modeling approach. The method is implemented by means of templates, each of which contains two parts of knowledge: the elements required for a class of feature model, and a way to convert the given elements into a formal description. An inconsistency check is achieved through a rule-based detection approach. Each rule contains two parts: a class of conditions that the feature model and the feature specification satisfy, and the actions to resolve inconsistencies once the conditions are satisfied. We have developed a tool. The tool guides the user to build an internally consistent product family model that contains the feature model and feature specifications. Experiments have shown that our approach can provide effective automation support for the process of formal product family modeling.
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