Potential synergies of theorem proving and model checking for software product lines

Abstract

The verification of software product lines is an active research area. A challenge is to efficiently verify similar products without the need to generate and verify them individually. As solution, researchers suggest family-based verification approaches, which either transform compile-time into runtime variability or make verification tools variabilityaware. Existing approaches either focus on theorem proving, model checking, or other verification techniques. For the first time, we combine theorem proving and model checking to evaluate their synergies for product-line verification. We provide tool support by connecting five existing tools, namely FeatureIDE and FeatureHouse for product-line development, as well as KeY, JPF, and OpenJML for verification of Java programs. In an experiment, we found the synergy of improved effectiveness and efficiency, especially for product lines with few defects. Further, we experienced that model checking and theorem proving are more efficient and effective if the product line contains more defects.

Improving quality of software product line by analysing inconsistencies in feature models using an ontological rule‐based approach

“…The presented approach also handled inconsistencies in cardinality‐based FMs. Moreover, the explanation for the cause of defects is an improvement on earlier work by Zhang and Møller‐Pedersen (), Yang and Dong (), Asadi et al (), and Thüm, Meinicke, et al (), where inconsistency detection is done, but no explanation for their causes is given. The use of natural language for explaining the cause of defects due to inconsistency helps modellers to detect the incorrect relationships that lead to these inconsistencies.…”

A rule‐based approach to detect and prevent inconsistency in the domain‐engineering process

“…Although their model verifies software products and ensures the quality of it, still it is working away from domain engineering. Thüm et al (2014) suggested using a combination of model checking and theorem proving for verifying domain engineering, but there is no direct mention of inconsistency, and it is not clear how this proposed model can handle inconsistency problem in domain engineering. Rincón et al (2014) used ontological rule-based method for verifying FM by detecting false optional and dead features.…”

An overview on analysis tools for software product lines

“…FeatureIDE [69,71] provides support for family-based model checking with the core implementation of the JavaPathfinder [21] and supports runtime assertion checking with the Java Modeling Language [37]. Another metaproduct that can be verified efficiently with the JavaPathfinder extension JPF-BDD [30] can be generated with FeatureHouse [4].…”

“…Then the formulas are used to proof correctness of the program. Next to the metaproduct for model checking, FeatureIDE [69,71] also provides a metaproduct with variability-aware contracts of the Java Modeling Language [37], for family-based theorem proving of feature-oriented product-lines. Other variability-aware tool support, or support for other efficient techniques to verify software product lines using theorem proving (e.g., proof composition [72]), is currently missing.…”