From stakeholder goals to product features
Catalin Bidian · 2006
Variability in complex software systems arises from the diverse characteristics, views, preferences, and goals of stakeholders. Recent variability research focuses on stakeholders' goals, using models, to analyze the space of alternative solutions for software functionalities. In our study we extend the goals-requirements-features approach by considering variability along multiple product development stages. We depict variability at the early and late requirements definition stage, architecture design, detailed design, and runtime, proposing a role-based framework for variability analysis. Variability design involves the placement of a decision boundary to identify the space of alternative features that can be left 'open' for the next stage of product decisions. We also analyze softgoals variability to allow early identification of variation points in the product architecture.