Configuration management in terms of modules

Abstract

Modern programming languages support constructs like functions and classes that let programmers decompose source programs into modules. However, existing programming environments do not allow programmers to handle configuration management directly with them. Instead, system building and version control are usually handled with different decomposition structures. The modules used in configuration management do not always match the modules in the source code. This is both inconvenient and error-prone, since there is a gap between handling the source code and managing the configurations.In this research we propose a framework for programming environments that handles configuration management directly in terms of the modules in the source code. We define the operations required for this purpose, study their semantics, and find a general strategy to support them. We show that with the ability to handle a large module as a single unit, software reuse and cooperative programming becomes easier. We also design and implement a prototype environment to verify our ideas.

Version models for software configuration management

“…Furthermore, only a single type of relationship is used, which represents source dependencies between modules. 1 This organization, which has been realized, for example, in POEM [Lin and Reiss 1995], corresponds directly to the logical structure displayed in (a). …”

“…Intertwined selection is performed, for example, in Adele [Estublier 1985], whereas "version first" is realized, for example, in POEM [Lin and Reiss 1995].…”

The Desert environment

“…Several older environments such as Magpie [Delisle et al 1984] provided editable views of a single routine. More recent environments such as Poem [Lin and Reiss 1995] or IBM's Visual Age Cϩϩ provide similar facilities. Reps' recent systems [Reps 1989] use slicing to construct an editable slice from a simple program, so that the user can edit the slice and then merge the result back into the code.…”

“…Here we drew on previous experience with the formview tool provided by FIELD and the POEM system [Lin and Reiss 1995]. Many of the capabilities, e.g., specifying what include paths are to be Fig. 14.…”

Simplifying data integration: the design of the Desert software development environment

“…This interface provides a convenient location for selecting files to edit and for defining fragment files using either prespecified or userdefined queries. It provides a natural front end for configuration management and version control similar to the formview tool provided by FIELD or the POEM system [9]. It also offers a general framework for defining top-level visualizations for program understanding.…”