Award Winning Papers!

Here are conference publications of our research group that have won awards or best-of-conference papers that have been recommended for journal publication. (For one conference, two of our papers were so honored, resulting in a combined journal publication). Each entry has a citation, an abstract, and a hypertext link to the actual paper. The most recent papers are listed first. See the copyright notice.

Publications

Here are the publications of our research group listed in order of publication date. Each entry has a citation, an abstract, and a hypertext link to a PDF copy of the paper. See the copyright notice.

To search for multiple keywords separate each keyword by a comma: keyword , keyword

Keywords include:

architectures, analysis, aspects, categories, commuting diagrams, computational design, derivatives, Dense Linear Algebra (DLA),
Design by Transformation (DxT), design rules, Design Rule Checking (DRC), evolution, feature interactions, feature models, geodesic,
higher-order transformations, kubes, MDA, MDD, MDE, mixin layers, optimization, optional feature problem, origami, refactoring,
streaming, safe composition, semantics, testing, UML, verification, wizards, P3 (P1/P2/P3/DiSTiL data structure generator).

See all award publications

Total Publications: 16

D-J. Munoz, J. Oh, M. Pinto, L. Fuentes, D. Batory. Nemo: A Tool to Transform Feature Models with Numerical Features and Arithmetic Constraints. International Conference on Software Reuse (ICSR), June 2022

Real-world Software Product Lines (SPLs) need Numerical Feature Models (NFMs) whose features not only have boolean values satisfying boolean constraints, but also have numeric attributes satisfying arithmetic constraints. A key operation on NFMs finds near-optimal performing products, which requires counting the number of SPL products. Typical constraint satisfaction solvers perform poorly on counting. Nemo (Numbers, features, models) supports NFMs by bit-blasting, the technique that encodes arithmetic as boolean clauses. Nemo translates NFMs to propositional formulas whose products can be counted efficiently by #SAT solvers, enabling near-optimal products to be found. We evaluate Nemo with a diverse set of real-world NFMs, complex arithmetic constraints, and counting experiments in this paper.

award bit-blasting propositional formula numerical features model counting

D. Batory. Test of Time Award and Conjectures on the Future of SPLs. Software Product Line Conference (SPLC) . September 2017, Seville, Spain.

This talk has two parts: First, I briefly summarize and explain the paper 'Feature Models, Grammars, and Propositional Formulas' and acknowledge many researchers who have contributed to this and related results over the last decade. Second, I convey my insights on how scientific knowledge progresses and matures, the bumps in the road that we are all experiencing now as a consequence, and the existential challenges ahead for many sub-disciplines in Software Engineering, including Software Product Lines.

PDF of Presentation Slides.

award keynote feature models product lines

D. Batory and M. Azanza. Teaching Model Driven Engineering from a Relational Database Perspective . Software and Systems Modeling (SoSym), 2015 .

We reinterpret MDE from the viewpoint of relational databases to provide an alternative way to understand, demonstrate, and teach MDE using concepts and technologies that should be familiar to undergraduates. We use (1) relational database schemas to express metamodels, (2) relational databases to express models, (3) Prolog to express constraints and M2M transformations, (4) Java tools to implement M2T and T2M transformations, and (5) Java to execute transformations. Application case studies and a user study illuminate the viability and benefits of our approach.

MDE, MDA, MDD, MDELite, award

T.L. Riche, H.M. Vin, and D. Batory. Transformation-Based Parallelization of Request-Processing Applications . Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems (MODELS), October 2010.

Multicore, multithreaded processors are rapidly becoming the platform of choice for high-throughput request-processing applications (RPAs). We refer to this class of modern parallel platforms as multi-* systems. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of Lagniappe, a translator that simplifies RPA development by transforming portable models of RPAs to highthroughput multi-* executables. We demonstrate Lagniappe’s effectiveness with a pair of stateful RPA case studies.

MDD riche MDE computational design award streaming architectures DxT

G. Freeman, D. Batory, G. Lavender, and J.N. Sarvela. Lifting Transformational Models of Product Lines: A Case Study.. Software and Systems Modeling. October 2009. This is a journal version of our 2008 ICMT paper

Model driven development (MDD) of software product lines (SPLs) merges two increasing important paradigms that synthesize programs by transformation. MDD creates programs by transforming models, and SPLs elaborate programs by applying transformations called features. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a transformational model of a product line of scalar vector graphics and JavaScript applications. We explain how we simplified our implementation by lifting selected features and their compositions from our original product line (whose implementations were complex) to features and their compositions of another product line (whose specifications were simple). We used operators to map higher-level features and their compositions to their lower-level counterparts. Doing so exposed commuting relationships among transformations (features) in both product lines that helped validate our model and implementation.

higher-order transformations, MDD, MDE, MDA, award

R. Lopez-Herrejon and D. Batory, Modeling Features in Aspect-Based Product Lines with Use Case Slices: An Exploratory Case Study." Aspect Oriented Modeling Workshop at Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems (MODELS). Genoa, Italy 2006. Also, in Models in Software Engineering. Workshops and Symposia at MoDELS 2006, Genoa, Italy, October 1-6, 2006, Reports and Revised Selected Papers. Series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 4364 Sublibrary: Programming and Software Engineering 2007

A significant number of techniques that exploit aspects in software design have been proposed in recent years. One technique is use case slices by Jacobson and Ng, that builds upon the success of use cases as a common modeling practice. A use case slice modularizes the implementation of a use case and typically consists of a set of aspects, classes, and interfaces. Work on Feature Oriented Programming (FOP) has shown how features, increments in program functionality, can be modularized and algebraically modeled for the synthesis of product lines. When AspectJ is used in FOP, the structure of feature modules resembles that of use case slices. In this paper, we explore the relations between use case slices modeling and FOP program synthesis and describe their potential synergy for modeling and synthesizing aspect-based product lines

aspects, UML, award

D. Batory. "Feature Models, Grammars, and Propositional Formulas", Software Product Line Conference (SPLC) September 2005.
This paper has won the SPLC Test of Time Award 2017.

Feature models are used to specify members of a product-line. Despite years of progress, contemporary tools provide limited support for feature constraints and offer little or no support for debugging feature models. We integrate prior results to connect feature models, grammars, and propositional formulas. This connection allows arbitrary propositional constraints to be defined among features and enables off-the-shelf satisfiability solvers to debug feature models. We also show how our ideas can generalize recent results on the staged configuration of feature models

award, constraints, feature models, recommended design rule checking

D. Batory, J.N. Sarvela, and A. Rauschmayer. Scaling Step-Wise Refinement , IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (IEEE TSE), June 2004. This is a journal version of our 2002 ICSE paper

Step-wise refinement is a powerful paradigm for developing a complex program from a simple program by adding features incrementally. We present the AHEAD (Algebraic Hierarchical Equations for Application Design) model that shows how step-wise refinement scales to synthesize multiple programs and multiple noncode representations. AHEAD shows that software can have an elegant, hierarchical mathematical structure that is expressible as nested sets of equations. We review a tool set that supports AHEAD. As a demonstration of its viability, we have bootstrapped AHEAD tools from equational specifications, refining Java and non-Java artifacts automatically; a task that was accomplished only by ad hoc means previously

computational design, award, recommended theory

D. Batory, R. Lopez-Herrejon, and J-P. Martin. Generating Product-Lines of Product-Families, Automated Software Engineering Conference (ASE), 2002

GenVoca is a methodology and technology for generating product-lines, i.e., building variations of a program. The primitive components from which applications are constructed are refinements or layers, which are modules that implement a feature that many programs of a product-line can share. Unlike conventional components (e.g., COM, CORBA, EJB), a layer encapsulates fragments of multiple classes. Sets of fully-formed classes can be produced by composing layers. Layers are modular, albeit unconventional, building blocks of programs.But what are the building blocks of layers? We argue that facets is an answer. A facet encapsulates fragments of multiple layers, and compositions of facets yields sets of fully-formed layers. Facets arise when refinements scale from producing variants of individual programs to producing variants of multiple, integrated programs, as typified by product families (e.g., MS. Office). We present a mathematical model that explains relationships between layers and facets. We use the model to develop a generator for tools (i.e., product-family) that are used in language-extensible Integrated Development Environments (IDEs).
Example is here Extended draft is here

origami, tensors, kubes, award

D. Batory, C. Johnson, B. MacDonald, and D. von Heeder. Achieving Extensibility Through Product-Lines and Domain-Specific Languages: A Case Study ", ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology (TOSEM), Vol. 11#2, April 2002, 191-214. This is a journal version of our 2000 ICSR paper

This is a case study in the use of product-line architectures (PLAs) and domain-specific languages (DSLs) to design an extensible command-and-control simulator for Army fire support. The reusable components of our PLA are layers or "aspects" whose addition or removal simultaneously impacts the source code of multiple objects in multiple, distributed programs. The complexity of our component specifications is substantially reduced by using a DSL for defining and refining state machines, abstractions that are fundamental to simulators. We present preliminary results that show how our PLA and DSL synergistically produce a more flexible way of implementing state-machine-based simulators than is possible with a pure Java implementation

award

L. Tokuda and D. Batory. Evolving Object-Oriented Designs with Refactorings. Journal of Automated Software Engineering 8, 89-120, 2001. This is an enlarged version of our 1999 ASE paper

Refactorings are behavior-preserving program transformations that automate design evolution in object-oriented applications. Three kinds of design evolution are: schema transformations, design pattern micro-architectures, and the hot-spot-driven-approach. This research shows that all three are automatable with refactorings. A comprehensive list of refactorings for design evolution is provided and an analysis of supported schema trans-formations, design patterns, and hot-spot meta patterns is presented. Further, we evaluate whether refactoring technology can be transferred to the mainstream by restructuring non-trivial C++ applications. The applications that we examine were evolved manually by software engineers. We show that an equivalent evolution could be reproduced significantly faster and cheaper by applying a handful of general-purpose refactorings. In one application, over 14K lines of code were transformed automatically that otherwise would have been coded by hand. Our experiments identify benefits, limitations, and topics of further research related to the transfer of refactoring technology to a production environment

refactoring award

D. Batory, G. Chen, E. Robertson, and T. Wang. Design Wizards and Visual Programming Environments for GenVoca Generators, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (IEEE TSE), May 2000, 441-452. This is a journal version of our 1998 ICSR paper

Domain-specific generators will increasingly rely on graphical languages for declarative specifications of target applications. Such languages will provide front-ends to generators and related tools to produce customized code on demand. Critical to the success of this approach will be domain-specific design wizards, tools that guide users in their selection of components for constructing particular applications. In this paper, we present the P3 ContainerStore graphical language, its generator, and design wizard

P3, recommended optimization, wizards, award

L. Tokuda and D. Batory. Evolving Object-Oriented Architectures with Refactorings Automated Software Engineering (ASE), October 1999.
This paper has jointly won the 2013 ASE Most Influential Paper Award. (Nov 2013)

This research evaluates whether refactoring technology can make a successful transition to the mainstream by restructuring non-trivial evolving C++ applications. Results reveal that refactorings can safely automate significant architectural changes. In one example, 14K lines of code are transformed

refactoring, award

D. Batory and B. J. Geraci. Composition Validation and Subjectivity in GenVoca Generators, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering (IEEE TSE) (special issue on Software Reuse), February 1997, 67-82. This is a journal version of papers Validating Component Compositions in Software System Generators. and Subjectivity and GenVoca Generators..

GenVoca generators synthesize software systems by composing components from reuse libraries. GenVoca components are designed to export and import standardized interfaces, and thus be plug-compatible, interchangeable, and interoperable with other components. In this paper, we examine two different but important issues in software system synthesis. First, not all syntactically correct compositions of components are semantically correct. We present simple, efficient, and domain-independent algorithms for validating compositions of GenVoca components. Second, components that export and import immutable interfaces are too restrictive for software system synthesis. We show that the interfaces and bodies of GenVoca components are subjective, i.e., they mutate and enlarge upon instantiation. This mutability enables software systems with customized interfaces to be composed from components with "standardized" interfaces

constraints, safe composition, award, design rules, DRC, recommended design rule checking

D. Batory, Lou Coglianese, M. Goodwin, and S. Shafer. Creating Reference Architectures: An Example from Avionics.. Symposium on Software Reusability (SSR), Seattle Washington, April 1995

ADAGE is a project to define and build a domain-specific software architecture (DSSA) environment for assisting the development of avionics software. A central concept of DSSA is the use of software system generators to implement component-based models of software synthesis in the target domain. In this paper, we present the ADAGE component-based model (or reference architecture) for avionics software synthesis. We explain the modeling procedures used, review our initial goals, and examine what we were (and were not) able to accomplish. The contributions of our paper are the lessons that we learned; they may be beneficial to others in future modeling efforts

award

V. Singhal and D. Batory. P++: A Language for Large-Scale Reusable Software Components. 6th Annual Workshop on Software Reuse (Owego, New York), November 1993

P++ is a programming language that supports the GenVoca model, a particular style of software design that is intended for building software system generators. P++ is an enhanced version of C++: it offers linguistic extensions for component encapsulation, abstraction, parameterization, and inheritance, where a component is a subsystem, i.e., a suite of interrelated classes and functions

award