The Technical and Social Aspect of Finding Software Model Fragments

Software models (e.g., UML or Domain Specific Languages) are high-level specifications of systems that can be used to automatically obtain source code. Software models have not replaced source code as a means of software development, but they have nonetheless been reported as a successful paradigm to develop industrial software. When software models are used to develop and maintain software products, it is essential to reuse model fragments. However, it is not possible to reuse a model fragment without locating it first. In this talk I describe our research in the technical and social aspect of locating model fragments in industrial domains of classic software engineering (in the software models of a product family of induction hobs, and in a product family of railway solutions from worldwide industrial suppliers), and game software engineering (in the software models of a commercial video game). On the one hand, the technical aspect includes variability management and Search-Based Software Engineering in software models. On the other hand, the social aspect includes different ways for involving domain experts during the location of model fragments to better fit their expectations and needs.