Variability Properties View

The Variability Properties View can be used to investigate and adapt how a specific variation point will be consolidated into the product-line. Consolidation refers to the process of combining the variation points and variants found in different product copies to a single code base for the product-line.

Such consolidation requires the combination of source code for the different variants of the variation point in a way that the variants can co-exist in the source code of the product-line. Furthermore, it is necessary to add a variation pattern that allows for switching between the variants when a concrete product instance is configured.

The Variability Properties View allows to define

• the binding time, i.e., when the product instance is meant to be configured) for a variation point,
• the variability type, i.e., whether specific variants exclude each other or whether they can be active in the same product instance,
• the extensibility, i.e., whether the consolidated variation point should allow for extension with yet unknown variants, and
• the concrete variability pattern, i.e., the code that is used for implementing the variability switch

for (groups of) variation points.