Product line bundles for tool support in multi product lines

Abstract

Many organizations adopt a product line approach to increase the degree of reuse in software development and to deal with the variability of their systems. Large-scale systems are often composed of multiple heterogeneous subsystems that are based on diverse technological platforms. Providing product line engineering tools for such multi product line environments is challenging as tool requirements of stakeholders can differ significantly. In this paper we present product line bundles (PLiBs), an approach that supports developers in tailoring and extending product line tools in a multi product line context. Based on an industrial example, we examine the specific requirements and challenges of using PLiBs to manage tool extensions in multi product lines and to simplify the integration and deployment of system-specific tool features.