Comparing and Translating Notions of Change for Delta-Oriented Variability

In software engineering, representing change effectively is useful for managing variability in software product lines. This thesis evaluates two notions of change: the notion of change of DeltaEcore, which uses domain-specific delta dialects within a delta language, and the notion of change of Vitruv, which offers a dialect-free, atomic change model. The comparison involves evaluating the expressiveness and capability of each notion of change. To facilitate this comparison, a translator is implemented to convert changes between the two notions of change. A case study based on the Body Comfort System (BCS) demonstrates the application of both approaches and evaluates the extent of information loss during translation. The results show that while both notions are similar in their capability for providing change, DeltaEcore offers significantly greater expressiveness through dialect customization and composition. However, this expressiveness comes at the cost of creating a delta dialect, which is needed per domain. The findings suggest that the choice between the two notions of change depends on the specific use case in which the use of a notion of change is needed. ... mehrVitruv offers simplicity and generality, while DeltaEcore allows for expressive, domain-specific change. Translations between the two can be performed with no found permanent information loss, enabling tool interoperability in practice.