An Ontology-Based Approach to Model-Driven Software Product Lines

Abstract

Software development in highly variable domains constrained by tight regulations and with many business concepts involved results in hard to deliver and maintain applications, due to the complexity of dealing with the large number of concepts provided by the different parties and system involved in the process. One way to tackle these problems is thru combining software product lines and model-driven software development supported by ontologies. Software product lines and modeldriven approaches would promote reuse on the software artifacts and, if supported by an ontological layer, those artifacts would be domain-validated. We intend to create a new conceptual framework for software development with domain validated models in highly variable domains. To define such a framework we will propose a model that relates several dimensions and areas of software development thru time and abstraction levels. This model would guarantee to the software house traceability of components, domain validated artifacts, easy to maintain and reusable components, due to the relations and mappings we propose to establish in the conceptual framework, between the software artifacts and the ontology.

Comparing Reuse Strategies in Different Development Environments

“…Therefore, we counted each development approach separately. An example of multiple classification is [61]. We distinguished studies by whether they provided qualitative data (e.g., the paper reported success as high, medium, low, or reuse outcomes as better, worse, or reuse satisfaction as satisfied, dissatisfied) or quantitative data (e.g., percent improvements, or r-values, p-values in statistical analysis results).…”

“…Four expert opinion papers discussed nonembedded systems. One expert opinion paper on development strategies covered ontology, PL, and MB reuse [61]. It analyzed developing an ontology of models into a PL in the insurance domain.…”

What makes it hard to apply software product lines to educational technologies?

“…Ontological SPL Engineering: Even though researchers have tried integrating ontologies and SPL [14], there is sparse research on utilizing the power and capabilities of ontologies for modeling and communicating knowledge in SPL.…”