Generating Members from Framework Product Lines Employing a Model-Based Approach

Abstract

Software Product Line (SPL) consists in an approach that enables software reuse by allowing the creation of software applications through the features composition to address a particular domain. Framework Product Line (FPL) is an extension of SPL, whose features composition result in targeted frameworks, which are used to address subdomains of applications. Model-Driven Engineering is a promising technique to deal with features in an efficient and producing manner. Nonetheless, there is no tool yet that makes the modularization and composition process in the FPL context possible. Thus, we have developed the FPLGenerator, which supports two main perspectives: (i) Domain Engineers may build a feature model in requirements-level to target FPL and to modularize their legacy frameworks to FPLs and (ii) Application Engineers may select a subset of features from FPL, generating the corresponding member, ready to be instantiated. The main goal of this tool is to allow the conversion of inflexible frameworks to FPLs through the use of driven feature refactoring. In this paper, we revisit the FPL concept and the main characteristics of FPLGenerator are discussed. As an illustrative example, an FPL called GRENJFPL is used to show the FPLGenerator usage. When it comes to composability and productivity, the preliminary results were found to be relevant to the FPL context.