This thesis presents the development of a prototype of the Baseline Oriented Modeling (BOM) approach, called protoBOM. BOM is a framework that semi-automatically generates Decision Support Systems in a specific domain, based on Software Product Lines. protoBOM semi-automatically generates applications as PRISMA architectural models by using Model-Driven Architecture and Software Product Line techniques. These models are automatically compiled and the object code (C#, in .NET) is generated obtaining an executable application. In protoBOM, the user constructs Decision Support Systems in a simpler way by using the ontologies of the diagnosis and the application domains by means of Domain Specific Languages. The interfaces will be closer to the problem domain, which will facilitate user interaction in a manner simple and intuitive.

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, wie Variabilitätsinformationen aus den Quelltext von Generatoren extrahiert werden können. Zu diesem Zweck wurde eine Klassifizierung von Variablen entwickelt, die im Vergleich zu bestehenden Ansätzen eine genauere Identifikation von Merkmalen ermöglicht. Zudem bildet die Unterteilung die Basis der Erkennung von Merkmalinteraktionen und Cross-tree-Constraints. Weiterhin wird gezeigt, wie die gewonnenen Informationen durch Merkmalmodelle dargestellt werden können. Da diese auf dem Generator-Quelltext basieren, liefern sie Erkenntnisse über den Lösungsraum der Domäne. Es wird sichtbar, aus welchen Implementierungskomponenten ein Merkmal besteht und welche Beziehungen es zwischen Merkmalen gibt. Allerdings liefert ein automatisch generiertes Merkmalmodell nur wenig Erkenntnisse über den Lösungsraum. Außerdem wurde ein Prototyp entwickelt, der eine Automatisierung des beschriebenen Extraktionsprozesses ermöglicht.

Background: A key idea of feature orientation is to decompose a software product line along the features it provides. Feature decomposition is orthogonal to object-oriented decomposition it crosscuts the underlying package and class structure. It has been argued often that feature decomposition improves system structure (reduced coupling, increased cohesion). However, recent empirical findings suggest that this is not necessarily the case, which is the motivation for our empirical investigation. Aim: In fact, there is little empirical evidence on how the alternative decompositions of feature orientation and object orientation compare to each other in terms of their association with observable properties of system structure (coupling, cohesion). This motivated us to empirically investigate and compare the properties of three decompositions (object-oriented, feature-oriented, and their intersection) of 28 feature-oriented software product lines. Method: In an exploratory, observational study, we quantify internal attributes, such as import coupling and cohesion, to describe and analyze the different decompositions of a feature-oriented product line in a systematic, reproducible, and comparable manner. For this purpose, we use three established software measures (CBU, IUD, EUD) as well as standard distribution statistics (e.g., Gini coefficient). Results: First, feature decomposition is associated with higher levels of structural coupling in a product line than a decomposition into classes. Second, although coupling is concentrated in feature decompositions, there are not necessarily hot-spot features. Third, the cohesion of feature modules is not necessarily higher than class cohesion, whereas feature modules serve more dependencies internally than classes. Fourth, coupling and cohesion measurement show potential for sampling optimization in complex static and dynamic product-line analyses (product-line type checking, feature-interaction detection). Conclusions: Our empirical study raises critical questions about alleged advantages of feature decomposition. At the same time, we demonstrate how the measurement of structural attributes can facilitate static and dynamic analyses of software product lines. (authors' abstract) / Series: Technical Reports / Institute for Information Systems and New Media

Many organizations specialize in the development of families of software systems, called software product lines (SPLs), for one or more domains (e.g., automotive, telephony, health care). SPLs are commonly developed as a shared set of assets representing the common and variable aspects of an SPL, and individual products are constructed by assembling the right combinations of assets. The feature-oriented software development (FOSD) paradigm advocates the use of system features as the primary unit of commonality and variability among the products of an SPL. A feature represents a coherent and identifiable bundle of system functionality, such as call waiting in telephony and cruise control in an automobile. Furthermore, FOSD aims at feature-oriented artifacts (FOAs); that is, software-development artifacts that explicate features, so that a clear mapping is established between a feature and its representation in different artifacts. The thesis first identifies the problem of developing a suitable language for expressing feature-oriented models of the functional requirements of an SPL, and then presents the feature-oriented requirements modelling language (FORML) as a solution to this problem. FORML's notation is based on standard software-engineering notations (e.g., UML class and state-machine models, feature models) to ease adoption by practitioners, and has a precise syntax and semantics to enable analysis. The novelty of FORML is in adding feature-orientation to state-of-the-art requirements modelling approaches (e.g., KAOS), and in the systematic treatment of modelling evolutions of an SPL via enhancements to existing features. An existing feature can be enhanced by extending or modifying its requirements. Enhancements that modify a feature's requirements are called intended feature interactions. For example, the call waiting feature in telephony intentionally overrides the basic call service feature's treatment of incoming calls when the subscriber is already involved in a call. FORML prescribes different constructs for specifying different types of enhancements in state-machine models of requirements. Furthermore, unlike some prominent approaches (e.g., AHEAD, DFC), FORML's constructs for modelling intended feature interactions do not depend on the order in which features are composed; this can lead to savings in analysis costs, since only one rather than (possibly) multiple composition orders need to be analyzed. A well-known challenge in FOSD is managing feature interactions, which, informally defined, are ways in which different features can influence one another in defining the overall properties and behaviours of their combination. Some feature interactions are intended, as described above, while other feature interactions are unintended: for example, the cruise control and anti-lock braking system features of an automobile may have incompatible affects on the automobile's acceleration, which would make their combination inconsistent. Unintended feature interactions should be detected and resolved. To detect unintended interactions in models of feature behaviour, we must first define a taxonomy of feature interactions for the modelling language: that is, we must understand the different ways that feature interactions can manifest among features expressed in the language. The thesis presents a taxonomy of feature interactions for FORML that is an adaptation of existing taxonomies for operational models of feature behaviour. The novelty of the proposed taxonomy is that it presents a definition of behaviour modification that generalizes special cases found in the literature; and it enables feature-interaction analyses that report only unintended interactions, by excluding interactions caused by FORML's constructs for modelling intended feature interactions.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2007. / Additional advisors: Jeff G. Gray, Marjan Mernik, Rajeev Raje, Chengcui Zhang. Description based on contents viewed Feb. 7, 2008; title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references (p. 216-230).

[pt] Nesta tese investigou-se o desenvolvimento de software no contexto de groupware, especificamente para apoiar a aprendizagem colaborativa. O desenvolvimento de groupware, entretanto, não é trivial. Como todo software, há aspectos tecnológicos e sociais envolvidos no desenvolvimento. Quanto aos aspectos tecnológicos, o desenvolvimento de artefatos de infraestrutura ocupam grande parte do esforço destinado à implementação dessas aplicações, sobrando pouco tempo para a implementação de soluções inovadoras para as questões da colaboração propriamente ditas. Com respeito aos aspectos sociais, deve-se levar em conta que o trabalho em grupo é dinâmico e a composição dos grupos, bem como suas características, se alteram com o passar do tempo. Assim, desenvolveu-se uma linha de produtos de software para groupware baseado no Modelo 3C de Colaboração, onde os groupware são derivados a partir da formalização de técnicas de aprendizagem colaborativa em scripts de colaboração. Foi desenvolvido um protótipo, o GroupwareBuilder para interpretar o script de colaboração e derivar o groupware para suporte específico das suas atividades. Uma avaliação funcional e um estudo de caso foram realizados. Na avaliação funcional, buscou-se obter uma prova de conceito do GroupwareBuilder, na qual dois groupware foram derivados para apoiar os scripts de colaboração Debate Crítico e Buzz Groups. O estudo de caso foi realizado para observar como se daria a derivação de groupware para técnicas de aprendizagem colaborativa modeladas por diferentes professores. A principal contribuição deste trabalho é uma abordagem que possibilita a derivação e adaptação de groupware a partir de scripts de colaboração elaborados pelos usuários e não a partir de uma lista de requisitos funcionais, como em LPS’s tradicionais. / [en] In this thesis we explore software development on the context of groupware, specifically on supporting collaborative learning. Groupware development is not a trivial task given that technological and social issues are involved. Considering the technological issues, a huge amount of time is wasted on implementing infrastructure aspects leaving little time for implementation of innovative solutions on collaboration. Considering the social issues, we should take into account that group work is dynamic and that group composition changes over time. So, we developed a software product line for groupware based on the 3C Collaboration Model. The groupware derivation process starts with the formalization of the collaborative learning techniques in collaboration scripts. In order to support this collaboration process we developed the GroupwareBuilder, that reads the collaboration script and derives groupware tailored to the tasks described on the script. We made a functional evaluation and a case study. On the functional evaluation, we aimed on getting a proof of concept for GroupwareBuilder by deriving groupware for supporting the Critical Debate and Buzz Groups collaboration scripts. In order to analyze how GroupwareBuilder derives groupware from other collaborative learning techniques described by different teachers we made a case study. The main contribution of this thesis is an approach that enables the derivation of groupware and the customization of groupware in runtime from collaboration scripts written by the users, and not from a list of software requirements as used in other SPLs approaches.

Submitted by Kleber Silva (kleberbs@ufba.br) on 2017-05-31T19:53:55Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Ph.D. Thesis - Ivan Machado - Full Version-1.pdf: 3242625 bytes, checksum: 76299cf9d79afd85a7c46155029ae95e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vanessa Reis (vanessa.jamile@ufba.br) on 2017-06-06T15:19:55Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Ph.D. Thesis - Ivan Machado - Full Version-1.pdf: 3242625 bytes, checksum: 76299cf9d79afd85a7c46155029ae95e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-06T15:19:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ph.D. Thesis - Ivan Machado - Full Version-1.pdf: 3242625 bytes, checksum: 76299cf9d79afd85a7c46155029ae95e (MD5) / Software Product Line (SPL) engineering has emerged as an important strategy to cope with the increasing demand of large-scale product customization. Owing to its variability management capabilities, SPL has provided companies with an efficient and effective means of delivering a set of products with higher quality at a lower cost, when compared to traditional software engineering strategies. However, such a benefit does not come for free. SPL demands cost-effective quality assurance techniques that attempt to minimize the overall effort, while improving, or at least not hurting, fault detection rates. Software testing, the most widely used approach for improving software quality in practice, has been largely explored to address this particular topic. State of the art SPL testing techniques are mainly focused on handling variability testing from a high level perspective, namely through the analysis of feature models, rather than concerning issues from a source code perspective. However, we believe that improvements in the quality of variable assets entail addressing testing issues both from high and low-level perspectives. By carrying out a series of empirical studies, gathering evidence from both the literature and the analysis of defects reported in three open source software systems, we identified and analyzed commonly reported defects from Java-based variability implementation mechanisms. Based on such evidence, we designed a method for building fault models for variability testing, from two main perspectives: test assessment, which focuses on the evaluation of the effectiveness of existing test suites; and test design, which aims to aid the construction of test sets, by focusing on fault-prone elements. The task of modeling typical or important faults provides a means to coming up with certain test inpus that can expose faults in the program unit. Hence, we hypothesize that understanding the nature of typical or important faults prior to developing the test sets would enhance their capability to find a particular set of errors. We performed a controlled experiment to assess the test effectiveness of using fault models to provide SPL testing with support to design test inputs. We observed promising results that confirm the hypothesis that combining fault models in an SPL testing process performs significantly better on improving the quality of test inputs. / A Engenharia de Linhas de Produtos de Software (LPS) surgiu como uma importante estratégia para lidar com a crescente demanda de customização de produtos de software em larga escala. Por sua capacidade de gerenciar variabilidade de forma sistemática, o paradigma de LPS tem proporcionado às empresas métodos eficientes e eficazes para alcançar a entrega de produtos de software com maior qualidade, a um custo de produção reduzido, quando comparado a estratégias tradicionais de desenvolvimento de software. No entanto, a obtenção de tais benefícios não é trivial. O paradigma impõe a necessidade de técnicas de garantia de qualidade eficazes, com bom custo-benefício, que tentem minimizar o esforço global, ao tempo em que se alcance melhorias nas taxas de detecção de falhas. Assim, a disciplina de testes de software, abordagem comumente utilizada na busca por melhoria na qualidade dos produtos de software, tem sido largamente explorada no contexto de LPS. As mais relevantes técnicas de testes em LPS estão focadas principalmente no gerenciamento de testes de variabilidade sob uma perspectiva de alto nível, notadamente através da análise de modelos, em sobreposição aos aspectos de mais baixo nível, isto é, sob o ponto de vista do código fonte. Entretanto, acreditamos que melhorias na qualidade dos artefatos de software variáveis implica na investigação de aspectos da disciplina de testes, em ambas as perspectivas, quer seja alto nível quer seja baixo nível. Através da realização de uma série de estudos empíricos, evidências foram obtidas a partir da análise de textos publicados na literatura, e a partir da análise de defeitos reportados em três sistemas de software de código aberto. Neste último caso, identificamos e analisamos defeitos provenientes do uso de mecanismos de implementação de variabilidade em Java. Com base nas evidências, construímos uma abordagem para construir modelos de falhas que auxiliem o teste de variabilidade, sob duas perspectivas principais: avaliação de teste, que incide sobre a avaliação da eficácia dos casos de testes existentes; e o projeto de teste, que visa auxiliar a construção de casos de teste, concentrando-se em elementos propensos a falhas. A tarefa de modelagem de falhas típicas ou importantes fornece um meio para identificar certas entradas de teste que podem expor falhas na execução do programa. Desta forma, a nossa hipótese é que a compreensão da natureza das falhas típicas, ou importantes, como tarefa anterior ao desenvolvimento dos casos de teste, tende a aumentar a capacidade dos testes em encontrar um determinado conjunto de defeitos, quando executados. Para avaliar a eficácia da abordagem proposta nesta tese, planejamos e executamos um experimento controlado. Os resultados mostraram-se promissores, provendo indícios de que a ideia de se combinar modelos de falha em um processo de teste de LPS pode trazer ganhos significativos a atividade de teste, bem como melhorar a qualidade dos dados de entrada de testes.

Submitted by Kleber Silva (kleberbs@ufba.br) on 2017-06-01T20:36:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_Thesis_Final_v01.pdf: 25381943 bytes, checksum: cf9b5a7ab05c5f433c6abe06c7c8815e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vanessa Reis (vanessa.jamile@ufba.br) on 2017-06-07T11:38:56Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_Thesis_Final_v01.pdf: 25381943 bytes, checksum: cf9b5a7ab05c5f433c6abe06c7c8815e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-07T11:38:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_Thesis_Final_v01.pdf: 25381943 bytes, checksum: cf9b5a7ab05c5f433c6abe06c7c8815e (MD5) / Software Product Line (SPL) has emerged as an important strategy to cope with the increasing demand of large-scale products customization. SPL has provided companies with an efficient and effective means of delivering products with higher quality at a lower cost, when compared to traditional software engineering strategies. However, such benefits do not come for free. There is a necessity in SPL to deal with the evolution of its assets to support changes within the environment and user needs. These changes in SPL are firstly represented by requirements. Thus, SPL should manage the commonality and variability of products by means of a “Requirements Engineering (RE) - change management” process. Hence, besides dealing with the reuse and evolution of requirements in an SPL, the RE for SPL also needs an approach to represent explicitly the commonality and variability information (e.g., through feature models and use cases). To understand the evolution in SPL, this Thesis presents two empirical studies within industrial SPL projects and a systematic mapping study on SPL evolution. The two empirical studies evaluated Lehman’s laws of software evolution in two industrial SPL projects,demonstrating that most of the laws are supported by SPL environments. The systematic mapping study on SPL evolution identified approaches in the area and revealed gaps for researching, such as, that most of the proposed approaches perform the evolution of SPL requirements in an ad-hoc way and were evaluated through feasibility studies. These results led to systematize, through guidelines, the SPL processes by starting with the SPL requirements. Thus, it was proposed an approach to specify SPL requirements called Feature-Driven Requirements Engineering (FeDRE). FeDRE specifies SPL requirements in a systematic way driven by a feature model. To deal with the evolution of FeDRE requirements, a new approach called Feature-Driven Requirements Engineering Evolution (FeDRE2) was presented. FeDRE2 is responsible for guiding, in a systematic way, the SPL evolution based on activities from RE. Both proposed approaches, FeDRE and and FeDRE2, were evaluated and the results, besides being preliminaries, shown that the approaches were perceived as easy to use and also useful, coping with the improvement and systematization of SPL processes.

abstract: Affect signals what humans care about and is involved in rational decision-making and action selection. Many technologies may be improved by the capability to recognize human affect and to respond adaptively by appropriately modifying their operation. This capability, named affect-driven self-adaptation, benefits systems as diverse as learning environments, healthcare applications, and video games, and indeed has the potential to improve systems that interact intimately with users across all sectors of society. The main challenge is that existing approaches to advancing affect-driven self-adaptive systems typically limit their applicability by supporting the creation of one-of-a-kind systems with hard-wired affect recognition and self-adaptation capabilities, which are brittle, costly to change, and difficult to reuse. A solution to this limitation is to leverage the development of affect-driven self-adaptive systems with a manufacturing vision. This dissertation demonstrates how using a software product line paradigm can jumpstart the development of affect-driven self-adaptive systems with that manufacturing vision. Applying a software product line approach to the affect-driven self-adaptive domain provides a comprehensive, flexible and reusable infrastructure of components with mechanisms to monitor a user’s affect and his/her contextual interaction with a system, to detect opportunities for improvements, to select a course of action, and to effect changes. It also provides a domain-specific architecture and well-documented process guidelines, which facilitate an understanding of the organization of affect-driven self-adaptive systems and their implementation by systematically customizing the infrastructure to effectively address the particular requirements of specific systems. The software product line approach is evaluated by applying it in the development of learning environments and video games that demonstrate the significant potential of the solution, across diverse development scenarios and applications. The key contributions of this work include extending self-adaptive system modeling, implementing a reusable infrastructure, and leveraging the use of patterns to exploit the commonalities between systems in the affect-driven self-adaptation domain. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Computer Science 2016

This report presents the results of a thesis project that surveys and designs about the issue “Feature Model for Adaptive Computing”. In this project, there are two main issues, first one is about the Feature Modeling, and the second is how to use this Feature Modeling for adaptive computing. In this thesis report, at the beginning, we present the problem we expected to solve and introduce some background information, including the knowledge of feature model and adaptive computing. Then we explain our solution and evaluate this solution. At the end of this report, we give a short conclusion about our thesis project and feature work.