Synthesis of Attributed Feature Models From Product Descriptions: Foundations

Feature modeling is a widely used formalism to characterize a set of products (also called configurations). As a manual elaboration is a long and arduous task, numerous techniques have been proposed to reverse engineer feature models from various kinds of artefacts. But none of them synthesize feature attributes (or constraints over attributes) despite the practical relevance of attributes for documenting the different values across a range of products. In this report, we develop an algorithm for synthesizing attributed feature models given a set of product descriptions. We present sound, complete, and parametrizable techniques for computing all possible hierarchies, feature groups, placements of feature attributes, domain values, and constraints. We perform a complexity analysis w.r.t. number of features, attributes, configurations, and domain size. We also evaluate the scalability of our synthesis procedure using randomized configuration matrices. This report is a first step that aims to describe the foundations for synthesizing attributed feature models

Software Product Line Engineering via Software Transplantation

For companies producing related products, a Software Product Line (SPL) is a software reuse method that improves time-to-market and software quality, achieving substantial cost reductions.These benefits do not come for free. It often takes years to re-architect and re-engineer a codebase to support SPL and, once adopted, it must be maintained. Current SPL practice relies on a collection of tools, tailored for different reengineering phases, whose output developers must coordinate and integrate. We present Foundry, a general automated approach for leveraging software transplantation to speed conversion to and maintenance of SPL. Foundry facilitates feature extraction and migration. It can efficiently, repeatedly, transplant a sequence of features, implemented in multiple files. We used Foundry to create two valid product lines that integrate features from three real-world systems in an automated way. Moreover, we conducted an experiment comparing Foundry's feature migration with manual effort. We show that Foundry automatically migrated features across codebases 4.8 times faster, on average, than the average time a group of SPL experts took to accomplish the task

Definition of Descriptive and Diagnostic Measurements for Model Fragment Retrieval

Tesis por compendio[ES] Hoy en día, el software existe en casi todo. Las empresas a menudo desarrollan y mantienen colecciones de sistemas de software personalizados que comparten algunas características entre ellos, pero que también tienen otras características particulares. Conforme el número de características y el número de variantes de un producto crece, el mantenimiento del software se vuelve cada vez más complejo. Para hacer frente a esta situación la Comunidad de Ingeniería del Software basada en Modelos está abordando una actividad clave: la Localización de Fragmentos de Modelo. Esta actividad consiste en la identificación de elementos del modelo que son relevantes para un requisito, una característica o un bug. Durante los últimos años se han propuesto muchos enfoques para abordar la identificación de los elementos del modelo que corresponden a una funcionalidad en particular. Sin embargo, existe una carencia a la hora de cómo se reportan las medidas del espacio de búsqueda, así como las medidas de la solución a encontrar. El objetivo de nuestra tesis radica en proporcionar a la comunidad dedicada a la actividad de localización de fragmentos de modelo una serie de medidas (tamaño, volumen, densidad, multiplicidad y dispersión) para reportar los problemas de localización de fragmentos de modelo. El uso de estas novedosas medidas ayuda a los investigadores durante la creación de nuevos enfoques, así como la mejora de aquellos enfoques ya existentes. Mediante el uso de dos casos de estudio reales e industriales, esta tesis pone en valor la importancia de estas medidas para comparar resultados de diferentes enfoques de una manera precisa. Los resultados de este trabajo han sido redactados y publicados en foros, conferencias y revistas especializadas en los temas y contexto de la investigación. Esta tesis se presenta como un compendio de artículos acorde a la regulación de la Universitat Politècnica de València. Este documento de tesis presenta los temas, el contexto y los objetivos de la investigación. Presenta las publicaciones académicas que se han publicado como resultado del trabajo y luego analiza los resultados de la investigación.[CA] Hui en dia, el programari existix en quasi tot. Les empreses sovint desenrotllen i mantenen col·leccions de sistemes de programari personalitzats que compartixen algunes característiques entre ells, però que també tenen altres característiques particulars. Conforme el nombre de característiques i el nombre de variants d'un producte creix, el manteniment del programari es torna cada vegada més complex. Per a fer front a esta situació la Comunitat d'Enginyeria del Programari basada en Models està abordant una activitat clau: la Localització de Fragments de Model. Esta activitat consistix en la identificació d'elements del model que són rellevants per a un requisit, una característica o un bug. Durant els últims anys s'han proposat molts enfocaments per a abordar la identificació dels elements del model que corresponen a una funcionalitat en particular. No obstant això, hi ha una carència a l'hora de com es reporten les mesures de l'espai de busca, així com les mesures de la solució a trobar. L'objectiu de la nostra tesi radica a proporcionar a la comunitat dedicada a l'activitat de localització de fragments de model una sèrie de mesures (grandària, volum, densitat, multiplicitat i dispersió) per a reportar els problemes de localització de fragments de model. L'ús d'estes noves mesures ajuda als investigadors durant la creació de nous enfocaments, així com la millora d'aquells enfocaments ja existents. Per mitjà de l'ús de dos casos d'estudi reals i industrials, esta tesi posa en valor la importància d'estes mesures per a comparar resultats de diferents enfocaments d'una manera precisa. Els resultats d'este treball han sigut redactats i publicats en fòrums, conferències i revistes especialitzades en els temes i context de la investigació. Esta tesi es presenta com un compendi d'articles d'acord amb la regulació de la Universitat Politècnica de València. Este document de tesi presenta els temes, el context i els objectius de la investigació. Presenta les publicacions acadèmiques que s'han publicat com resultat del treball i després analitza els resultats de la investigació.[EN] Nowadays, software exists in almost everything. Companies often develop and maintain a collection of custom-tailored software systems that share some common features but also support customer-specific ones. As the number of features and the number of product variants grows, software maintenance is becoming more and more complex. To keep pace with this situation, Model-Based Software Engineering Community is addressing a key-activity: Model Fragment Location (MFL). MFL aims at identifying model elements that are relevant to a requirement, feature, or bug. Many MFL approaches have been introduced in the last few years to address the identification of the model elements that correspond to a specific functionality. However, there is a lack of detail when the measurements about the search space (models) and the measurements about the solution to be found (model fragment) are reported. The goal of this thesis is to provide insights to MFL Research Community of how to improve the report of location problems. We propose using five measurements (size, volume, density, multiplicity, and dispersion) to report the location problems during MFL. The usage of these novel measurements support researchers during the creation of new MFL approaches and during the improvement of those existing ones. Using two different case studies, both real and industrial, we emphasize the importance of these measurements in order to compare results in a deeply way. The results of the research have been redacted and published in forums, conferences, and journals specialized in the topics and context of the research. This thesis is presented as compendium of articles according the regulations in Universitat Politècnica de València. This thesis document introduces the topics, context, and objectives of the research, presents the academic publications that have been published as a result of the work, and then discusses the outcomes of the investigation.Ballarin Naya, M. (2021). Definition of Descriptive and Diagnostic Measurements for Model Fragment Retrieval [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/171604TESISCompendi

Automated analysis of feature models: Quo vadis?

Feature models have been used since the 90's to describe software product lines as a way of reusing common parts in a family of software systems. In 2010, a systematic literature review was published summarizing the advances and settling the basis of the area of Automated Analysis of Feature Models (AAFM). From then on, different studies have applied the AAFM in different domains. In this paper, we provide an overview of the evolution of this field since 2010 by performing a systematic mapping study considering 423 primary sources. We found six different variability facets where the AAFM is being applied that define the tendencies: product configuration and derivation; testing and evolution; reverse engineering; multi-model variability-analysis; variability modelling and variability-intensive systems. We also confirmed that there is a lack of industrial evidence in most of the cases. Finally, we present where and when the papers have been published and who are the authors and institutions that are contributing to the field. We observed that the maturity is proven by the increment in the number of journals published along the years as well as the diversity of conferences and workshops where papers are published. We also suggest some synergies with other areas such as cloud or mobile computing among others that can motivate further research in the future.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TIN2015-70560-RJunta de Andalucía TIC-186

Multi-camera complexity assessment system for assembly line work stations

In the last couple of years, the market demands an increasing number of product variants. This leads to an inevitable rise of the complexity in manufacturing systems. A model to quantify the complexity in a workstation has been developed, but part of the analysis is done manually. Thereto, this paper presents the results of an industrial proof-of-concept in which the possibility of automating the complexity analysis using multi camera video images, was tested

A systematic reuse-based approach for customized cloned variants

Systematic reuse often becomes possible only after a number of customized cloned variants have already been delivered. Transforming from customized cloned variants to a systematic reuse with the explicit management of variability is beneficial. Hence, industrial companies prefer to adopt a reusebased approach. We propose in this research work an approach that supports the re-engineering of existing customized cloned variants towards systematic software reuse. The approach also eases the process of adding a new variant to a set of customized cloned variants, whenever there is enough implementation similarity between the existing customized cloned variants and the new one. We plan to evaluate our approach in an industrial case study, specifically in a set of customized cloned variants of software applications used by automotive companies. As an initial validation effort, we already have presented our first results to software developers at Bosch. They provided us a positive feedback about the ability of our approach to give an overview of the commonality and the variability of the customized cloned variant. For more robust validation, we propose to use a structured demonstration for the same industrial case study environment with qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the impact.We thank our colleagues from Bosch company in sensor software team (Joao Santos and Helder Vilas-Boas) and we also like to show our gratitude to Matthias Renninger (Development, Mangement of projects) for his assistance. We thank the European Structural and Investment Funds in the FEDER component, through the Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Programme (COMPETE 2020) Project n° 002797; Funding Reference: POCI-01-0247-FEDER-002797

Web Data Extraction, Applications and Techniques: A Survey

Web Data Extraction is an important problem that has been studied by means of different scientific tools and in a broad range of applications. Many approaches to extracting data from the Web have been designed to solve specific problems and operate in ad-hoc domains. Other approaches, instead, heavily reuse techniques and algorithms developed in the field of Information Extraction. This survey aims at providing a structured and comprehensive overview of the literature in the field of Web Data Extraction. We provided a simple classification framework in which existing Web Data Extraction applications are grouped into two main classes, namely applications at the Enterprise level and at the Social Web level. At the Enterprise level, Web Data Extraction techniques emerge as a key tool to perform data analysis in Business and Competitive Intelligence systems as well as for business process re-engineering. At the Social Web level, Web Data Extraction techniques allow to gather a large amount of structured data continuously generated and disseminated by Web 2.0, Social Media and Online Social Network users and this offers unprecedented opportunities to analyze human behavior at a very large scale. We discuss also the potential of cross-fertilization, i.e., on the possibility of re-using Web Data Extraction techniques originally designed to work in a given domain, in other domains.Comment: Knowledge-based System