Slides of my (invited) talk on web configurators at the 1st workshop on Variability and Complexity in Software Design (VACE) co-located with the International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE), Austin, Texas, USA. May 15, 2016

1. www.unamur.be
A Complexity Tale: Web Configurators
(invited paper)
Gilles Perrouin, Mathieu Acher, Jean-Marc Davril, Axel Legay, Patrick Heymans
gilles.perrouin@unamur.be
VACE@ICSE, May 15th, 2016
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Web Configurators
Cyledge.com =>
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Web Configurators
Cyledge.com =>
1050 Configurators
listed…
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Web Configurators are Challenging
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Web Configurators are Challenging
Visually attractive
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Web Configurators are Challenging
Visually attractive
showcase of the company’s products
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Web Configurators are Challenging
Visually attractive
showcase of the company’s products
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Web Configurators are Challenging
Visually attractive
showcase of the company’s products
Efficient
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Web Configurators are Challenging
Visually attractive
showcase of the company’s products
Efficient
Guide costumers through options
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Web Configurators are Challenging
Visually attractive
showcase of the company’s products
Efficient
Guide costumers through options
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Web Configurators are Challenging
Visually attractive
showcase of the company’s products
Efficient
Guide costumers through options
Fast
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Web Configurators are Challenging
Visually attractive
showcase of the company’s products
Efficient
Guide costumers through options
Fast
Nobody likes waiting on the web…
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Web Configurators are Challenging
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Web Configurators are Challenging
Correct
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Web Configurators are Challenging
Correct
Costumers should not configure products that can’t be
built or at a different price
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Web Configurators are Challenging
Correct
Costumers should not configure products that can’t be
built or at a different price
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Web Configurators are Challenging
Correct
Costumers should not configure products that can’t be
built or at a different price
Secure
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Web Configurators are Challenging
Correct
Costumers should not configure products that can’t be
built or at a different price
Secure
Critical business information should not leak to your
competitors
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Web Configurators’ Engineering
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Web Configurators’ Engineering
Mostly an ad-hoc discipline1
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Web Configurators’ Engineering
Mostly an ad-hoc discipline1
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[1] Abbassi et al. The Anatomy of a Sales Configurator: An Empirical Study of 111
Cases, CAISE 2013

27. www.unamur.be
Web Configurators’ Engineering
Mostly an ad-hoc discipline1
Incomplete reasoning (not checking mandatory
options, formatting issues, 26%)
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[1] Abbassi et al. The Anatomy of a Sales Configurator: An Empirical Study of 111
Cases, CAISE 2013

28. www.unamur.be
Web Configurators’ Engineering
Mostly an ad-hoc discipline1
Incomplete reasoning (not checking mandatory
options, formatting issues, 26%)
Visual discrepancies (implementing exclusive options
with non-exclusive check boxes)
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[1] Abbassi et al. The Anatomy of a Sales Configurator: An Empirical Study of 111
Cases, CAISE 2013

29. www.unamur.be
Web Configurators’ Engineering
Mostly an ad-hoc discipline1
Incomplete reasoning (not checking mandatory
options, formatting issues, 26%)
Visual discrepancies (implementing exclusive options
with non-exclusive check boxes)
Backward navigation (loosing all configuration data,
31%)
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[1] Abbassi et al. The Anatomy of a Sales Configurator: An Empirical Study of 111
Cases, CAISE 2013

30. www.unamur.be
Web Configurators’ Engineering
Mostly an ad-hoc discipline1
Incomplete reasoning (not checking mandatory
options, formatting issues, 26%)
Visual discrepancies (implementing exclusive options
with non-exclusive check boxes)
Backward navigation (loosing all configuration data,
31%)
Variability “exploits”2
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[1] Abbassi et al. The Anatomy of a Sales Configurator: An Empirical Study of 111
Cases, CAISE 2013

31. www.unamur.be
Web Configurators’ Engineering
Mostly an ad-hoc discipline1
Incomplete reasoning (not checking mandatory
options, formatting issues, 26%)
Visual discrepancies (implementing exclusive options
with non-exclusive check boxes)
Backward navigation (loosing all configuration data,
31%)
Variability “exploits”2
6
[1] Abbassi et al. The Anatomy of a Sales Configurator: An Empirical Study of 111
Cases, CAISE 2013
[2] Acher et al. Product Lines Can Jeopardize Their Trade Secrets, New ideas track,
FSE 2015.

32. MODEL-DRIVEN (RE-)ENGINEERING
OF WEB CONFIGURATORS
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A Virtuous Cycle…
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Analyse Model
ReverseGenerate

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Reverse: Choose your Input
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Reverse: Choose your Input
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Product Descriptions
Features scattered in textual documents1
Product Configuration Matrices2

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Reverse: Choose your Input
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Product Descriptions
Features scattered in textual documents1
Product Configuration Matrices2
[1] Davril et al. Feature Model Extraction from Large Collections of Informal Product
Descriptions. ESC/FSE 2013

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Reverse: Choose your Input
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Product Descriptions
Features scattered in textual documents1
Product Configuration Matrices2
[1] Davril et al. Feature Model Extraction from Large Collections of Informal Product
Descriptions. ESC/FSE 2013
[2] Ben Nasr et al. MatrixMiner: A Red Pill to Architect Informal Product Descriptions in the
Matrix. ESEC/FSE 2015

38. www.unamur.be
Reverse: Choose your Input
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Product Descriptions
Features scattered in textual documents1
Product Configuration Matrices2
[1] Davril et al. Feature Model Extraction from Large Collections of Informal Product
Descriptions. ESC/FSE 2013
[2] Ben Nasr et al. MatrixMiner: A Red Pill to Architect Informal Product Descriptions in the
Matrix. ESEC/FSE 2015

39. www.unamur.be
Reverse: Choose your Input
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Product Descriptions
Features scattered in textual documents1
Product Configuration Matrices2
Synthesis
Boolean formula => FM + heuristics
Or extraction of the FM from the intermediate PCM1
[1] Davril et al. Feature Model Extraction from Large Collections of Informal Product
Descriptions. ESC/FSE 2013
[2] Ben Nasr et al. MatrixMiner: A Red Pill to Architect Informal Product Descriptions in the
Matrix. ESEC/FSE 2015

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Reverse: Choose your Input
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Reverse: Choose your Input
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Configurator
Static analysis to extract variability patterns
Web crawler to complete patterns extraction

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Reverse: Choose your Input
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Configurator
Static analysis to extract variability patterns
Web crawler to complete patterns extraction
Variability Patterns
Pattern language to specify the data to extract
(attributes, images) in HTML code

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Reverse: Choose your Input
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Configurator
Static analysis to extract variability patterns
Web crawler to complete patterns extraction
Variability Patterns
Pattern language to specify the data to extract
(attributes, images) in HTML code
Abbassi et al. Reverse Engineering Web Configurators. 17th European Conference on Software
Maintenance and Reengineering (CSMR), Feb 2014, Antwerp, Belgium. IEEE, 2014.

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Model: Choose your Architectural
Pattern
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User action Update FM
NotifyUpdate GUI
Forward
update
Changes
Configuration
API
SAT/SMT
Solver
Reasoning layerControl layerPresentation layer
PresenterView model
Feature model
Translate
1 2
34
56
Q. Boucher, Engineering Configuration Graphical User Interfaces from Variability
Models, Phd Thesis, U. Namur, 2014

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Analyse: Choose your level
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Analyse: Choose your level
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Feature Configuration workflows1 to drive configuration

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Analyse: Choose your level
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Feature Configuration workflows1 to drive configuration
[1] Hubaux et al. Formal modelling of feature configuramon workflows. SPLC 2009

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Analyse: Choose your level
12
Feature Configuration workflows1 to drive configuration
Featured Transition Systems2 to analyse products
behaviour
[1] Hubaux et al. Formal modelling of feature configuramon workflows. SPLC 2009

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Analyse: Choose your level
12
Feature Configuration workflows1 to drive configuration
Featured Transition Systems2 to analyse products
behaviour
[1] Hubaux et al. Formal modelling of feature configuramon workflows. SPLC 2009
[2] Classen et al. Featured Transimon Systems: Foundamons for Verifying Variability-Intensive
Systems and Their Applicamon to LTL Model Checking, TSE 39(8):1069–1089, 2013

50. www.unamur.be
Analyse: Choose your level
12
Feature Configuration workflows1 to drive configuration
Featured Transition Systems2 to analyse products
behaviour
Challenging Interplay between Product Configuration and
Validation
Validity of configurations in advance…
v.s.
Getting the autopilot feature while driving
[1] Hubaux et al. Formal modelling of feature configuramon workflows. SPLC 2009
[2] Classen et al. Featured Transimon Systems: Foundamons for Verifying Variability-Intensive
Systems and Their Applicamon to LTL Model Checking, TSE 39(8):1069–1089, 2013

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Generate
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Generate
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Use model transformation to generate configuration
interfaces from feature models

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Generate
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Use model transformation to generate configuration
interfaces from feature models
Eliminate visual discrepancies (consistent mapping
rules)

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Generate
13
Use model transformation to generate configuration
interfaces from feature models
Eliminate visual discrepancies (consistent mapping
rules)
Enforces separation of concerns pushed by architecture
(no constraint management in the GUI)

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Generate
13
Use model transformation to generate configuration
interfaces from feature models
Eliminate visual discrepancies (consistent mapping
rules)
Enforces separation of concerns pushed by architecture
(no constraint management in the GUI)
Supports rapid prototyping => generating instantly
configurators to validate the FM with customers

56. www.unamur.be
Generate
13
Use model transformation to generate configuration
interfaces from feature models
Eliminate visual discrepancies (consistent mapping
rules)
Enforces separation of concerns pushed by architecture
(no constraint management in the GUI)
Supports rapid prototyping => generating instantly
configurators to validate the FM with customers
Q. Boucher, Engineering Configuration Graphical User Interfaces from Variability
Models, PhD Thesis, U. Namur, 2014

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Modelling Layer
Variability Model
Configuration
Workflow
FTS
Presentation
Models
Context Models
Reasoning Layer
Runtime Reasoners
(ECA, Goals)
SAT/SMT Solvers
Configuration GUI
Environment
updates
APIs Layer
Configuration APIPresentation API
updates
reads
callsmonitors

58. 14
Modelling Layer
Variability Model
Configuration
Workflow
FTS
Presentation
Models
Context Models
Reasoning Layer
Runtime Reasoners
(ECA, Goals)
SAT/SMT Solvers
Configuration GUI
Environment
updates
APIs Layer
Configuration APIPresentation API
updates
reads
callsmonitors
Configurable Configurator
Architecture

59. CONCLUSION
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Take Home Message
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Take Home Message
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Web Configurators are highly complex and adaptive
Ad hoc approach won’t scale

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Take Home Message
16
Web Configurators are highly complex and adaptive
Ad hoc approach won’t scale
Reverse, Architecture & MDE cycle to the rescue
Architecture: robustness, performance, security
MDE: Analysis, generation

63. www.unamur.be
Take Home Message
16
Web Configurators are highly complex and adaptive
Ad hoc approach won’t scale
Reverse, Architecture & MDE cycle to the rescue
Architecture: robustness, performance, security
MDE: Analysis, generation
Challenges
Configurator@Runtime, especially from the analysis
perspective
Integration with other systems

64. AIM HIGHER
WITH SKALUP
Discover what we can do
for you
VISIT US @ SKALUP.COM
MAXIME.CORDY@SKALUP.COM
PATRICK.HEYMANS@SKALUP.COM

65. www.unamur.be
Questions
18
Special Theme on Model-Based Testing
Editors: Mike Papadakis, Shaukat Ali, Gilles Perrouin
Intent to submit: July 1, 2016
Manuscript Submission: September 15, 2016
Notification: December 15, 2016