A Method of Automatically Evolving Feature Models of Software Product Lines

Abstract

A software product line is a kind of software, which generates software products with similar functionality by reusing assets. A feature model is extracted from requirements documents to represent each functional module of a software product line and the relationship among functionality. During the evolution of a software product line, a feature model always needs to be rebuilt. The rebuilding process cannot guarantee the correctness of the reconstructed feature model. Therefore, we propose a method of automatically evolving feature models of software product lines with evolutionary requirements to solve the repeated reconstruction and reduce errors in reconstruction. In the method, a formal model of feature models is constructed by communication membrane calculus, then the formal evolutionary requirements can change the formal model automatically, finally the changed formal model is mapped to the reconstructed feature model. The several experiments are carried out by open feature models, and the results of experiments not only verify the effectiveness of the proposed method but also show the method can be used to test whether the software product line evolves according to the requirements. The method can automatically change feature models of software product lines to avoid mistakes when people modify the feature model.