Research On Feature Interaction Problems Detecting Approach In Component Assemble Using Temporal Logic

Nowadays, component based software developing has aroused many concerns. While single component has explicit functions in runtime after strictly qualified, problems come out with composed components, which developed by different developers in different time. Those problems are so called "feature interaction". And those feature interactions, which influence the normal system operations and decrease the system efficiency, are called "feature interaction problem", and should be checked out and be resolved.We use temporal logic language XYZ/E as our component description language for components may have different abstract hierarchy and different granularity. XYZ/E is able to describe the dynamic semantics and static operations of component, and to formally describe system in different hierarchy. In this paper, we mainly focused on describing components in designing phase, and proposing the approach to detect the feature interaction in component assemble. Furthermore, this approach can also apply to components in other phases.The feature interaction between components is not only related with component functions but also with component assemble mode. According to that, we proposed a composing mode based approach to detect feature interaction problems. There are two aspects of this approach: state control aspect, to detect unmatched condition among states of components when assembled with certain mode; structure aspect: to analyze components behaviors after assembled.In this paper implement this approach in IP filter system and Email system for a case study. What's more, we describe how to use this approach to detect feature interaction problems in requirement phase by a sample of elevator system.