How to Complete an Interactive Configuration Process?

Author
Mikolás Janota
Goetz Botterweck
Radu Grigore
João Silva
Year of Publication
2010
Conference
SOFSEM 2010: Theory and Practice of Computer Science, 36th Conference on Current Trends in Theory and Practice of Computer Science, Spindleruv Ml\ yn, Czech Republic, January 23-29, 2010. Proceedings
Pages
528-539
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11266-9_44
DOI
10.1007/978-3-642-11266-9_44
Keywords
Software Product Lines
Configuration
Abstract
When configuring customizable software, it is useful to provide interactive tool-support that ensures that the configuration does not breach given constraints. But, when is a configuration complete and how can the tool help the user to complete it? We formalize this problem and relate it to concepts from non-monotonic reasoning well researched in Artificial Intelligence. The results are interesting for both practitioners and theoreticians. Practitioners will find a technique facilitating an interactive configuration process and experiments supporting feasibility of the approach. Theoreticians will find links between well-known formal concepts and a concrete practical application.