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Variation Programming with the Choice Calculus

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Generative and Transformational Techniques in Software Engineering IV (GTTSE 2011)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 7680))

Abstract

The choice calculus provides a language for representing and transforming variation in software and other structured documents. Variability is captured in localized choices between alternatives. The space of all variations is organized by dimensions, which provide scoping and structure to choices. The variation space can be reduced through a process of selection, which eliminates a dimension and resolves all of its associated choices by replacing each with one of their alternatives. The choice calculus also allows the definition of arbitrary functions for the flexible construction and transformation of all kinds of variation structures. In this tutorial we will first present the motivation, general ideas, and principles that underlie the choice calculus. This is followed by a closer look at the semantics. We will then present practical applications based on several small example scenarios and consider the concepts of ”variation programming” and ”variation querying”. The practical applications involve work with a Haskell library that supports variation programming and experimentation with the choice calculus.

This work is partially supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under the grant FA9550-09-1-0229 and by the National Science Foundation under the grant CCF-0917092.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of EECS, Oregon State University, USA

    Martin Erwig & Eric Walkingshaw

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  1. Martin Erwig
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  2. Eric Walkingshaw
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. FB4, Institut für Informatik, Universität Koblenz-Landau, B 127, Universitätsstr. 1, 56070, Koblenz, Germany

    Ralf Lämmel

  2. Departamento de Informática, Campus de Gualtar, Universidade do Minho, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal

    João Saraiva

  3. Software Improvement Group, P.O. box 94914, 1090 GX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Joost Visser

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Erwig, M., Walkingshaw, E. (2013). Variation Programming with the Choice Calculus. In: Lämmel, R., Saraiva, J., Visser, J. (eds) Generative and Transformational Techniques in Software Engineering IV. GTTSE 2011. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 7680. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35992-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35992-7_2

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