Calculating and Modeling Common Parts of Software Product Lines

Abstract

This paper builds on product line CCS (PL-CCS), an algebraic approach to modeling the behavior of software product lines. The semantics of PL-CCS specifications is given in terms of labeled transition systems for individual products as well as for the entire product line and can be derived automatically. In this paper, we extend PL-CCS with a concept for specifying dependencies, show how to integrate it into a development methodology for product lines and validate its practical applicability by modeling a typical reactive system from the automotive domain. Most importantly, due to the algebraic nature of our model, we can derive calculation laws that allow to compute common parts of a product line. The application of the corresponding calculation rules is illustrated in detail with an example. By this, we obtain a formal foundation for restructuring product lines.

Family-Based Model Checking with mCRL2

“…There is a growing body of research on customizing model-checking techniques for SPLs. Like our FTS-based proposals [19,20], the CCS-based proposals PL-CCS [2,10] and DeltaCCS [12] are grounded in the μ-calculus. In [26], PL-CCS was proven to be less expressive (in terms of the sets of definable products) than FTSs, while DeltaCCS allows only limited familybased model checking (viz.…”

“…To make SPL models amenable to family-based reasoning, feature-based variability was introduced in many behavioral models, e.g. based on process calculi [2,[10][11][12] and labeled transition systems (LTSs) [3,[13][14][15]. Arguably the most widely used behavioral SPL models are featured transition systems (FTSs) [13].…”

“…However, there have been earlier proposals for using the μ-calculus to analyze SPLs (cf., e.g., [2,10,12,19,20]). In [19], for instance, mCRL2 and its toolset [21,22] were used for product-based model checking.…”

A Model-Checking Tool for Families of Services

“…In [27], modal I/O automata were defined as one of the first attempts at behavioural modelling in SPLE. In [19,20], an algebraic approach to behavioural modelling and analysis of product families was developed. In [32], Feature Petri Nets were defined to model the behaviour of product families with a high degree of variability.…”

A Logical Framework to Deal with Variability

“…We have extended MTSs in [17] to allow modelling different notions of behavioural variability. A different, algebraic approach to behavioural modelling and verification of product lines instead has been developed in [20,21]. In this paper, we continue research we started in [3,4].…”