Tech Report CS-03-07

A Constraint-Based Approach to Open Feature Verification

Colim Blundell, Kathi Fisler, Shriram Krishnamurthi, and Pascal van Hentenryck

May 2003

Abstract:

Feature-oriented software architectures provide a powerful model for building product-line systems. Each component corresponds to an individual feature, and a composition of features yields a product. Feature-oriented verification methodologies must be able to analyze individual features and to compose the results into results on products; features are hence a form of open systems. In prior work, Li, Fisler and Krishnamurthi proposed a feature verification methodology based on 3-valued model checking. This paper presents a new methodology based on constraint-generation that is simpler and less expensive than the original. In addition, it supports both client-side and producer-side notions of compositional feature verification.

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