A Component Selection Framework for COTS Libraries

Abstract

Abstract. Component-based software engineering proposes building complex applications from COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) organized into component markets. Therefore, the main development effort is required in selection of the components that fit the specific needs of an application. In this article, we propose a mechanism allowing the automatic selection of a component among a set of candidate COTS, according to functional and non-functional properties. This mechanism has been validated on an example using the ComponentSource component market.

Automated architectural component classification using concept lattices

“…Adding the capability of identifying variations in function names with natural language techniques would be of great interest. Adding the treatment of metadata on variants [19] and including non-functional attributes for components is also a large field to explore: non-functional attributes could allow to provide additional filtering steps to select components with more accuracy (as done in [20]). On the experimental point of view, we wish to further use CoCoLa on real component repositories to try and identify the combinatorial limit of the tool and provide solutions in the form of reasonably small directory interconnection.…”

Building Hierarchical Component Directories.

“…Components need similar specialization rules (covariance for what is provided, contravariance for what is required), but adapted and extended so as to take into account not only their required interfaces (which define different semantics as compared to their provided ones) but also more complex types (component types as higher level concepts holding interfaces with opposite directions). Research work on component-based approaches proposes type concepts and specialization rules that apply to components, interfaces or services [SR06,Fis98,Lin95,GFS08]. Compared to our approach, no work studies the automatic construction of component type hierarchies nor proposes concrete directory indexing mechanisms that could be implemented and used in component registries or repositories.…”

Requirement analysis technique for configurable platform : case study

“…A comparison to differentiate between integrating a COTS component into a single system and integrating it into an SPL as domain artifact is the variability (Pohl & Ulfat-Bunyadi, 2005). George, Fleurquin & Sadou (2008) consider that the use of COTS components for software applications can reduce development costs and deliver in a shorter time-tomarket. The software development life-cycle must be rethought when using COTS components which are viewed as "black-box" units published by third party developers.…”

“…al., 2005Eriksson, 2007Mannion & K aindl, 2008Rabiser et. al., 2011Ullah, 2009Weiss & Lai, 1999 Requirements Analysis -Goal-oriented for N FR and stakeholder's intentions -Scenarios for functional requirem ents and sequence o f actions -Technology neutral Amyot et al, 2010Clements & Bass, 2010Galster et al, 2006Jarke et al, 2010H orkoff& Yu, 2011Lamsweerde, 2001Liu & Yu, 2001 Architecture -Components com position with functionalities and qualities -Im proving com m unication and understanding am ong stakeholders -Combining common and variable components is key Ahmed & Capretz, 2008Arboleda et al, 2009Asikainen et al, 2007Galster et al" 2006Gruler et al, 2007Pohl & Sikora, 2007Schewick, 2004 Software components -Q uality o f com ponents grows faster -May help with cost and time reductions -Right com bination o f requirements, architecture and variability is key George et al, 2008Pohl & U lfat-Bunyadi, 2005Szyperski, 2002 Table 1 summarizes the streams were identified during the literature review phase. These streams are supporting the research to help the creation of a technique that provides a set of steps to map requirements to a software platform configuration.…”

“…During the software product line domain engineering process, the most important activities are evaluation and selection o f COTS components. According toGeorge, Fleurquin & Sadou (2008), considering the selection process of a large amount o f markets and libraries for COTS components and the diversity of description formats, may affect the advantages of using COTS software development approach, voiding the cost and time reductions.The high-level COTS selection process is interrelated with domain requirements engineering and domain design in the Software Product Line (SPL) development. As input there are requirements, architecture and the variability model which are considered 5 COTS is a term coin ed since the 1980's by the softw are industry as an application designed for softw are reuse or com ponent.…”