Constructing software asset variants by composing pre-existing components

Several works on using Component-based Development to construct Software Product Lines have been reported. However, shortcomings in both approaches have limited the benefits of combining them in practice for the development of software asset variants. This paper explores the feasibility of using composition operators to construct such variants from pre-existing software components. The variants are implemented as composite components, which provide variant behaviours that can be reused in a Software Product Line. Via a case study, we will show that the use of these operators enables a consistent and systematic approach to variant construction. Other benefits of our approach are design preservation, modularity and automation.