Renewing the Product Line Vision

Twenty years ago, an effort to build a reuse-based software generator led to the realization that a domain-specific focus was essential to achieving effective software reuse. This realization became the product line vision. However, reuse was never the primary focus of this vision but only a means to an end: achieving the ability to rapidly produce and evolve high-quality software. Although the spirit of this vision guides us still, much of current product line work assumes a formulation that is limited from the perspective of the original vision. A look back at neglected aspects of that vision will suggest opportunities for greater progress. Beyond that, consideration of an emerging "producibility" vision will provide a broader perspective for framing future product line efforts.