The book
The book describes a methodology for product derivation in the context of software product families. It is directed toward software-engineers who deal with huge numbers of software components that are highly variable and interdependent. The methodology uses knowledge-based configuration methods to address this complexity and thus allows commercial configuration tools to be used in its realisation.
Abstract
The book presents the ConIPF methodology in three parts:
Introduction
Application Engineering
Domain Engineering.
The Introduction gives an overview of the basic ideas behind software product families and the concepts of reuse and variability. It presents the state of the art in product family engineering, together with the problems and challenges currently encountered by practitioners. The introduction describes the ConIPF methodology at a high level and shows how the methodology addresses the problems identified.
Part I presents the ConIPF methodology to application engineers. It explains how configuration knowledge can be used to derive new product family products. A tool chain supports the application engineer by inferring which component to select based on knowledge from its knowledge base. Part I presents an overview of the ConIPF product derivation process and then explains the phases and activities in detail.
Part II presents the ConIPF methodology to domain engineers. It explains how to implement assets for reuse in application engineering and how to integrate them in the reuse framework. It shows how to acquire knowledge and build a configuration model of the assets and how to synchronise the model as the assets change. Furthermore, it details the different asset types used in application engineering.
Introduction
Application Engineering
Domain Engineering.
The Introduction gives an overview of the basic ideas behind software product families and the concepts of reuse and variability. It presents the state of the art in product family engineering, together with the problems and challenges currently encountered by practitioners. The introduction describes the ConIPF methodology at a high level and shows how the methodology addresses the problems identified.
Part I presents the ConIPF methodology to application engineers. It explains how configuration knowledge can be used to derive new product family products. A tool chain supports the application engineer by inferring which component to select based on knowledge from its knowledge base. Part I presents an overview of the ConIPF product derivation process and then explains the phases and activities in detail.
Part II presents the ConIPF methodology to domain engineers. It explains how to implement assets for reuse in application engineering and how to integrate them in the reuse framework. It shows how to acquire knowledge and build a configuration model of the assets and how to synchronise the model as the assets change. Furthermore, it details the different asset types used in application engineering.
