Home // ICSEA 2011, The Sixth International Conference on Software Engineering Advances // View article

Soft Constraints in Feature Models

Authors:
Jorge Barreiros
Ana Moreira

Keywords: Feature Models; Software Product Lines; Soft Constraints; Feature Consistency; Feature Interaction; Semantic Validation

Abstract:
Feature Models represent admissible configurations of products in Software Product Lines. Constraints are used to represent domain specific knowledge, such as requiring or excluding a feature in the presence of another. Configurations failing to conform to these constraints are deemed invalid. However, in many cases useful domain information cannot be expressed comfortably with such forceful, hard constraints. Therefore, we propose the use of softer constraints of less forcing nature. We categorize possible semantics for such constraints, analyze their impact on the feature expression and describe some specific analysis procedures that are unique to the use of soft constraints.

Pages: 136 to 141

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2011

Publication date: October 23, 2011

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4235

ISBN: 978-1-61208-165-6

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Dates: from October 23, 2011 to October 29, 2011