Developing frameworks from extended feature models

Abstract

Frameworks are composed of concrete and abstract classes implementing the functionality of a domain. Applications can reuse framework design and code to improve their quality and be developed more efficiently. However, framework development is a complex task, since it must be adaptable enough to be reused by several applications. In this chapter we present the From Features to Framework (F3) approach, which aims to facilitate the development of frameworks. This approach is divided in two steps: Domain Modeling, in which framework domain is defined in a extended feature model; and Framework Construction, in which the framework is designed and implemented by following a set of patterns from its feature model. Since these steps can be systematically applied, we also present the design of a tool that supports the use of the F3 approach on framework development. Moreover, we performed an experiment that showed that the F3 approach makes framework development easier and more efficient.