TY - GEN
T1 - External variability of software
T2 - 30th International Conference on Conceptual Modeling, ER 2011
AU - Reinhartz-Berger, Iris
AU - Sturm, Arnon
AU - Wand, Yair
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Software variability management deals with the adaptation of reusable artifacts, such as models, specifications, and code, for particular requirements. External variability, which refers to software functionality as visible to users, deserves a special attention as it is closely linked to requirements and hence to early development stages. Errors or inaccuracies in these stages are relatively inexpensive to detect and easy to correct, yet can lead to expensive outcomes if not corrected. Nevertheless, the analysis of external variability in the literature is done ad-hoc and requires improvement. In this paper we introduce a framework for classifying external variability types based on ontological principles. The framework defines the external view of software in terms of the behavior of the application domain. Behavior is formalized as state changes in response to external stimuli. Based on this view we classify the possible similarities and differences among applications and identify an integrated similarity measurement. We demonstrate the usage of this classification framework for feasibility studies in system development.
AB - Software variability management deals with the adaptation of reusable artifacts, such as models, specifications, and code, for particular requirements. External variability, which refers to software functionality as visible to users, deserves a special attention as it is closely linked to requirements and hence to early development stages. Errors or inaccuracies in these stages are relatively inexpensive to detect and easy to correct, yet can lead to expensive outcomes if not corrected. Nevertheless, the analysis of external variability in the literature is done ad-hoc and requires improvement. In this paper we introduce a framework for classifying external variability types based on ontological principles. The framework defines the external view of software in terms of the behavior of the application domain. Behavior is formalized as state changes in response to external stimuli. Based on this view we classify the possible similarities and differences among applications and identify an integrated similarity measurement. We demonstrate the usage of this classification framework for feasibility studies in system development.
KW - domain analysis
KW - domain engineering
KW - software product line engineering
KW - variability management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80455123850&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-642-24606-7_21
DO - 10.1007/978-3-642-24606-7_21
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:80455123850
SN - 9783642246050
T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
SP - 275
EP - 289
BT - Conceptual Modeling, ER 2011 - 30th International Conference, Proceedings
Y2 - 31 October 2011 through 3 November 2011
ER -