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== CALL FOR PAPERS ==

ACoM: 4th Workshop on Assessment of Contemporary Modularization Techniques
* Assessing Modularity Techniques for Software Product Lines *

Co-located with the 14th International Software Product Line Conference 2010
13-17 September 2010, Jeju Island - South Korea

http://www.les.inf.puc-rio.br/opus/acom/splc2010/index.htm

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MOTIVATION
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Developers have typically used conventional techniques (such as OO design)
to modularize features of software product lines (SPLs). However, the
composition mechanisms provided by these techniques introduce undesirable
side effects in the modularity and other desirable properties of SPL
assets. Post-OO modularity techniques, such as aspect-oriented
software development, may address the limitations of conventional
modularity techniques for SPLs, but they probably have their own
limitations. For instance, aspect-oriented software development alone may
lack the configuration mechanisms and generalization capabilities that
are required to realize variability in SPL assets.

To address this gap, a plethora of new modularization techniques have
emerged that aim to address specific problems in SPL development. For
example, modern programming languages such as CaesarJ,
AspectualMixinLayers and Compose* are enhanced with additional modularity
mechanisms and abstractions in order to support superior variability
management. The goal of new modularity techniques is not limited to
improve SPL implementation, but some of them are also targeted at
improving the quality of other SPL assets. With contemporary
modularity techniques, such as aspect-orientation and feature-orientation
fast gaining wide
attention and applicability in SPL development, there is a pressing need
to carry out proper
assessments of these techniques.

Assessment of new modularity techniques is also of paramount importance as
it remains unclear
to what extent they will scale in the presence of recurring
characteristics of real-life SPLs,
such as: (a) different forms of variabilities, (b) intricate feature
interactions, and
(c) non-trivial configuration knowledge. The relevance of the worksho
topics become even more
evident when we look at the limited number of qualitative and quantitative
case studies,
software metrics and assessment frameworks involving new modularity
techniques for SPLs.


GOALS
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The main goal of this workshop is to put together researchers and
practitioners with different
backgrounds in order to discuss open issues on the assessment of
contemporary modularization
techniques, such as:

1. Do contemporary modularization techniques have a role to play in SPL
development? How does
the application of contemporary modularization techniques to SPLs affect
assessment strategies?

2. What are the proper assessment means to compare new modularity
techniques and conventional
ones (e.g., OO) in the context of SPL development?

3. Are current conventional metrics sufficient to assess software quality
in SPLs?

4. What resources, such as exemplars and benchmarks, are required to
enable the effective assessment
of modularization techniques in SPL development?

The ACoM workshop also aims to: (a) debate the open issues on the
assessment of contemporary
modularization techniques in SPL development and evolution; (b) bring the
attention of the SPL
community to the importance of rigorous evaluation of emerging
modularization techniques;
(c) motivate the expansion of research and practice associated with
applying and assessing emerging
modularization techniques in SPL engineering; and (d) foster a
collaborative environment for
both experienced SPL practitioners and researchers interested in effective
assessment of new
development techniques.


TOPICS OF INTEREST
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The workshop is intended to cover a wide range of topics, from theoretical
foundations to assessment
frameworks and empirical studies. Topics of interest include the following
(but not limited to):
* Lessons learned from assessing AOSD techniques
* Empirical studies
* Comparative studies between AO and other techniques
* Assessment frameworks and estimation models
* Software metrics and quality models
* Validation of assessment techniques for AOSD
* Assessment techniques, methods and tools to different phases of the AO
software lifecycle
* Development of predictive models of defect rates and reliability from
real data,
* Infrastructure issues, such as measurement theory, experimental design,
and analysis approaches.


WORKSHOP FORMAT AND SUBMISSIONS
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ACoM is a one-day long workshop and is strongly focused on discussion.
Authors who plan to contribute
with a paper are requested to submit a position paper in PDF format. The
paper format must follow the
IEEE two-column conference proceeding - format Letter
(http://www.computer.org/portal/web/cscps/formatting).
Papers must be written in English and, for submission instructions, please
see the workshop website
http://www.les.inf.puc-rio.br/opus/acom/splc2010/ . All accepted papers
will be published on the same
website prior to the workshop.

We are soliciting the submission of two categories of position papers:

(1) Traditional position papers (up to 6 pages) related to workshop topics.

(2) Very short position statement (1-2 pages), where the authors describe
their "innovative thoughts", lessons
learned, or points of view with respect to one or more workshop topics.

Papers in the category (1) will be refereed by at least three reviewers,
and should describe work that is not
yet advanced enough for a full conference paper. They are expected to have
a more solid idea, even though it
does not require strong validation ingredients. Papers in the category (2)
will be mainly reviewed for topicality,
i.e. checked if they fit into the workshop topics, including some feedback
from reviewers. Moreover we especially
encourage authors to present their experience and/or novel ideas on how to
assess new modularization techniques
(shorter paper format).

IMPORTANT DATES
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- Submission Deadline: June 25, 2010 23:59 SST (Apia - Samoa)
- Notification of Acceptance: July 15, 2010
- Camera-ready: July 25, 2010


PROGRAM COMMITTEE (being finalized)
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Mehmet Aksit, University of Twente, The Netherlands
Paulo Borba, UFPE, Brazil
Kyo-Chul Kang, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH),
South Korea
Eunyoung Kim, Samsung, South Korea
Taeho Kim, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, South Korea
Jaejoon Lee, Lancaster University, UK
Neil Loughran, SINTEF, Norway
Alan MacCormack, Harvard Business School, USA
Andreas Rummler, SAP, Germany
Christa Schwanninger, Siemens, Germany
Sérgio Soares, UFPE, Brazil
Jianjun Zhao, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China

WORKSHOP CO-CHAIRS
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Alessandro Garcia, PUC-Rio, Brazil, afgarcia@inf.puc-rio.br (Main organizer)
Phil Greenwood, Lancaster University, UK, greenwop@comp.lancs.ac.uk
Yuanfang Cai, Drexel University, USA,yfcai@cs.drexel.edu
Jeff Gray, University of Alabama, USA, gray@cs.ua.edu


ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
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Alessandro Garcia, PUC-Rio, Brazil, afgarcia@inf.puc-rio.br (Main organizer)
Phil Greenwood, Lancaster University, UK, greenwop@comp.lancs.ac.uk
Yuanfang Cai, Drexel University, USA, yfcai@cs.drexel.edu
Jeff Gray, University of Alabama, USA, gray@cs.ua.edu
Francisco Dantas, PUC-Rio, Brazil, fneto@inf.puc-rio.br


WORKSHOP CONTACT
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- Francisco Dantas, fneto (AT) inf.puc-rio.br and/or
Alessandro Garcia, afgarcia (AT) inf.puc-rio.br