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8.10. Dynamic variability
The notion of dynamic variability has different meanings.
The first general meaning is related to the binding time
of variants to variation points that can ultimately occur at
runtime. For instance,it is used in context-aware and adaptive
systems, which need automatic adaptation to changes in their
environment. In this case, the management of changes in
variability due to modifications in requirements or software
evolution in general, is the main concern. Techniques such
as reflexivity, late binding, and conditions can be used here.
This dynamic variability is required for software adaptive
systems, service robotics, ubiquitous systems, and medical
devices. Dynamic software product lines [HAL 08] are mainly
concerned with binding variation points at runtime; thus,
they rely on dynamic variability. Two recent illustrations of
researches on dynamic variability are: Context awareness
productlinesof[PAR09]andtheDIVAproject 2 .Apresentation
of the DIVA approach can be found in Chapter 12 of the
AMPLE topic [RAS 11]. Dynamic software product lines, as
defined in [PAR 09], are product lines devoted to generate
products reacting to changes in their environment. This goal
implies reconsidering the development process of product
lines and using recent techniques, such as MDE, AOP, AOM,
context awareness, and adaptation. Even if evolution and
adaptation arise at different times in the development process,
it seems suitable to unify them.The proposal,called CAPucine,
for Context Aware Software Product Line, adds a runtime
derivation process to the classic SPL engineering process.
The design derivation process is controlled by the developer
team while the runtime one is automatically managed by the
events denoting changes in the execution context. The set of
core assets is enriched with aspect models, which correspond
to alternatives and options of the features models and can
be woven at design time or at runtime. An aspect model
2 http://www.ict-diva.eu/.
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