Starting Product Lines (I) — Systematic Product Line Planning and Adoption

Abstract

To successfully and effectively adopt a software product line approach, the transition must be well aligned to the specific product line situation. As more and more organizations aim at a product line transition, this becomes increasingly an issue. To successfully and effectively adopt a software product line approach, a thorough analysis of the economic implications of the adoption must be performed, and the product line introduction needs to be adequately planned. This requires a precise picture of the product line through product analysis and modeling. A thorough analysis of the economic implications of the adoption must be performed, and the introduction of the product line needs to be correspondingly planned. Of course, such a transition has serious ramifications for the component structure of the software. We will discuss these consequences and show how the economic analysis itself can be used as a basis for deriving an adequate structure for the software. Thus, this tutorial provides a concise overview of the current state of the art of product line planning and adoption that is aimed at both researchers and practitioners of product line development.