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Model checking software product lines with SNIP

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Abstract

We present SNIP, an efficient model checker for software product lines (SPLs). Variability in software product lines is generally expressed in terms of features, and the number of potential products is exponential in the number of features. Whereas classical model checkers are only capable of checking properties against each individual product in the product line, SNIP exploits specifically designed algorithms to check all products in a single step. This is done by using a concise mathematical structure for product line behaviour, that exploits similarities and represents the behaviour of all products in a compact manner. Specification of an SPL in SNIP relies on the combination of two specification languages: TVL to describe the variability in the product line, and fPromela to describe the behaviour of the individual products. SNIP is thus one of the first tools equipped with specification languages to formally express both the variability and the behaviours of the products of the product line. The paper assesses SNIP and suggests that this is the first model checker for SPLs that can be used outside the academic arena.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Namur, Namur, Belgium

    Andreas Classen, Maxime Cordy, Patrick Heymans & Pierre-Yves Schobbens

  2. IRISA/INRIA Rennes, Rennes, France

    Axel Legay

  3. University of Liège, Liège, Belgium

    Axel Legay

  4. INRIA Lille-Nord Europe, Université Lille 1, LIFL, CNRS, Lille, France

    Patrick Heymans

Authors
  1. Andreas Classen
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  2. Maxime Cordy
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  3. Patrick Heymans
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  4. Axel Legay
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  5. Pierre-Yves Schobbens
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Andreas Classen or Maxime Cordy.

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A. Classen and M. Cordy are FNRS research fellows.

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Classen, A., Cordy, M., Heymans, P. et al. Model checking software product lines with SNIP. Int J Softw Tools Technol Transfer 14, 589–612 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10009-012-0234-1

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