Software customization system and method

Abstract

A system and method for the mass customization of software includes a software production line infrastructure, development environment, and actuator. The infrastructure organizes the software production line using a feature declarations component, a product definitions component, an automatons component, and a partition composition component. The development environment browses, displays, organizes, edits, and maintains the infrastructure. The actuator actuates the software production line to produce custom software products.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system having a memory for customization of software comprising:
 a mass customization infrastructure;   a mass customization development environment; and   a mass customization actuator, wherein said mass customization infrastructure includes a feature declarations component, a product definitions component, an automatons component, and a partition composition component.   
     
     
         2 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said mass customization development environment includes editors and browsers which display, create, modify, and maintain the software production line. 
     
     
         3 . The system as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said editor in said mass customization development environment displays, creates, modifies, and maintains a collection of feature declarations. 
     
     
         4 . The system as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said editor in said mass customization development environment displays, creates, modifies, and maintains a collection of product definitions. 
     
     
         5 . The system as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said editor in said mass customization development environment displays, creates, modifies, and maintains automatons. 
     
     
         6 . The system as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said editor in said mass customization development environment displays, creates, modifies, and maintains partition compositions. 
     
     
         7 . The system as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said browser in said mass customization development environment displays, creates, modifies, and maintains a collection of mass customization infrastructure and software artifacts. 
     
     
         8 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said product definitions component of said mass customization infrastructure models the individual software products that can be created from the system for mass customization of software. 
     
     
         9 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said feature declarations component of said mass customization infrastructure models the dimensions of variation that can be used in the system for mass customization of software. 
     
     
         10 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said partition composition component of said mass customization infrastructure models the combinations of partition customizations that can be composed in the system for mass customization of software. 
     
     
         11 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said automatons component of said mass customization infrastructure encapsulates software artifact variants. 
     
     
         12 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said automatons component of said mass customization infrastructure includes a logic portion which instantiates an individual automaton by actuation with a product definition. 
     
     
         13 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said mass customization actuator configures an individual software product according to a selected product definition by actuating each automaton in the mass customization production line with said product definition.