Introduction - Model-Driven and Software Product Line Engineering - page 9

multiple stages,sometimes by designers with different domain
knowledge.
During the process of product derivation, model
transformation rules must be composed to derive products
from their configuration. The composition is done according
to each configuration. FieSta maintains uncoupled the
information of relationships between variants and their
related transformation rules.This facilitates the maintenance,
re-use,and evolution of transformation rules and/or variability
models. Additionally, FieSta proposes a high-level mechanism
to compose model transformation rules and to adapt their
execution ordering (or execution scheduling) to create fine-
grained configurations and derive products based on them.
FieSta (1) provides mechanisms to extend the power
of variability of MD-SPL by using metamodeling and
feature modeling conjointly, and (2) integrates a product
derivation process, which uses the decision model and
Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) facilitating the re-use,
adaptation, and composition of model transformation rules.
Figure 1.2 presents an activity diagram summarizing the
processes involved in FieSta.
During the domain-engineering process, product line
architects create model transformations consisting of sets of
transformation rules. Each transformation rule is responsible
for producing a part of a final product. Model transformation
rules implement algorithms to transform application domain
models into refined models (or source code) including concerns
from a different level of abstraction. Product line architects
also create decision models. Decision models are the basis
of our mechanism to derive products including variability.
They capture the execution ordering of transformation rules
to be performed by the model transformation engine to derive
configured products.We useAOP to build the scheduling of the
transformation rules, i.e. the order in which transformation