Variability Aspects at a Textual Requirements Specification Level

Abstract

Since the advent of software product lines (SPLs), variability techniques have provided for commonality and variability modeling of functionally similar products, within a given domain. However, variability modeling proposals so far have mostly been targeted at system features, rather than its requirements, stemming from the fact that features are often closer to stakeholders' perception and understanding of variability. Given the importance that a well-defined system requirements specifica-tion (SRS) represents to the success of a project, this paper pro-poses an innovative approach for modeling and managing varia-bility at the SRS level, based on the Common Variability Lan-guage (CVL) which is the OMG proposal for a domain-independent variability modeling standard. This approach has been implemented as a core feature of the ITBox system, a Web-based collaborative platform for the management of SRSs.