Feature Algebra
P. Höfner, R. Khedri, B. Möller
2006-04
in: Universität Augsburg
Technical Report, Institute of Computer Science, University of Augsburg, June 2006
Abstract:
Based on experience from the hardware industry,
product families
have entered the software development process as well, since software
developers often prefer not to build a single product but rather a
family of similar products that share at least one common functionality
while having well-identified variabilities. Such shared commonalities,
also called
features, reach from common hardware parts to software
artefacts such as requirements, architectural properties, components,
middleware, or code. We use idempotent semirings as the basis for a
feature algebra that allows a formal treatment of the above
notions as well as calculations with them. In particular models
of feature algebra the elements are sets of products, i.e. product families.
We extend the algebra to cover product lines, refinement, product development
and product classification. Finally we briefly describe a prototype
implementation of one particular model.
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