Empirically Based Evolution of a Variability Management Approach at UML Class Level

Abstract

SMarty is a variability management approach for UML-based software product lines. It allows the identification, representation and tracing of variabilities in several UML models by means of an UML profile, the SMartyProfile, and a systematic process, the SMartyProcess, with guidelines to provide user directions for applying such a profile. The existing UML-based variability management approaches in the literature, including SMarty, do not provide empirical evidence of their effectiveness, which is an essential requirement for technology transfer to industry. Therefore, this paper presents empirical evidence of the SMarty approach at class level. In addition, this paper demonstrates how SMarty has evolved, by means of its profile and guidelines, based on the obtained results of an experiment and the subjects feedback analysis.

Towards a Software Product Line Architecture to Build M-learning Applications for the Teaching of Programming

“…For the engineering domain, FODA approach [10] was adopted in most of the studies, followed by SMarty [14,17]. The technologies and tools adopted in the application engineering were: REST (representational state transfer), Java, Android, Ajax, AOP (aspect oriented programming) and S.P.L.O.T.…”

“…Among such approaches there are KorbA (Komponentebasierte Anwendungsentwicklung) and FORM (Feature-Oriented Reuse Method for SPL) [1], PLUS method (Product Line UML-Based Software Engineering) [14], FODA (Feature-Oriented Domain Analysis) [10] and SMarty (Stereotype-based Management of Variability) [14,17].…”

“…SPL concerns the sharing features within a family of products, addressing business, architecture, processes and organizational aspects [3,14]. SPL also provides mechanisms for the evolution of products, since new features may arise from stakeholders' needs.…”

Towards Initial Evidence of SMartyCheck for Defect Detection on Product-Line Use Case and Class Diagrams

“…SMarty is comprised of an UML profile, the SMartyProfile, and a process, the SMartyProcess, consisting of activities and guidelines to identify and trace variability in UML diagrams. Experimental evaluations performed in the studies of Marcolino et al [24]- [26] and Bera et al [4] evidenced the effectiveness of SMarty.…”

Enhancing Variability Modeling in Process-Aware Information Systems through Change Patterns

“…Annotations have been defined for BPMN [Frece & Juric, 2012;Döhring et al, 2011] and for EPC Becker et al, 2004]. In addition, meta-model extensions for UML Activity Diagrams Saidani & Nurcan, 2014;Kolokolov et al, 2014;Marcolino et al, 2014] and BPEL [Lazovik & Ludwig, 2007] have been proposed in order to realize configurable process models. In the same vein, multiplicity indicators can be also attached to modeling elements (e.g., activities) to denote the possible lowest and upper-most numbers of variants these elements may have in a process family [Reinhartz-Berger et al, 2010].…”