Generating counterexamples of model-based software product lines: an exploratory study

  • Authors:

  • João Bosco Ferreira Filho;Olivier Barais;Mathieu Acher;Benoit Baudry;Jérôme Le Noir

  • Affiliations:

  • Université Rennes 1, France;Université Rennes 1, France;Université Rennes 1, France;RESEARCH LAB, Rennes, France and Lysaker, Norway;Thales Research & Technology, Palaiseau, France

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 17th International Software Product Line Conference
  • Year:
  • 2013

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Abstract

Model-based Software Product Line (MSPL) engineering aims at deriving customized models corresponding to individual products of a family. MSPL approaches usually promote the joint use of a variability model, a base model expressed in a specific formalism, and a realization layer that maps variation points to model elements. The design space of an MSPL is extremely complex to manage for the engineer, since the number of variants may be exponential and the derived product models have to be conformant to numerous well-formedness and business rules. In this paper, the objective is to provide a way to generate MSPLs, called counterexamples, that can produce invalid product models despite a valid configuration in the variability model. We provide a systematic and automated process, based on the Common Variability Language (CVL), to randomly search the space of MSPLs for a specific formalism. We validate the effectiveness of this process for three formalisms at different scales (up to 247 metaclasses and 684 rules). We also explore and discuss how counterexamples could guide practitioners when customizing derivation engines, when implementing checking rules that prevent early incorrect CVL models, or simply when specifying an MSPL.