My research aims at integrating formal methods into software engineering. Specifically, I provide support for the automation of product configuration:

• Feature-based Configuration. Most feature-based configuration techniques do not scale well to collaborative contexts. They offer limited mechanisms to determine responsibilities and access rights, to schedule configuration tasks, and to resolve conflicts. Fragments of solutions already exist but a unified and formal foundation for collaborative feature-based configuration is still missing. To provide enhanced control and guidance, we specify responsibilities and rights with views on the FM. Views establish insulated spaces in which users can safely configure the part of the FM assigned to them. The configuration of these views is regulated by a workflow that defines the configuration process. The result of that combination is a new formalism called feature-based configuration workflow. This work has been fully implemented in a toolset available here.
• Conflict resolution. To prevent configuration errors, highly configurable software often allows defining constraints over the available options. As these constraints can be complex, fixing a configuration that violates one or more constraints can be challenging. Although several fix-generation approaches exist, their applicability is limited because (1) they typically generate only one fix, failing to cover the solution that the user wants; and (2) they do not fully support non-Boolean constraints, which contain arithmetic, inequality, and string operators. We propose a novel concept, range fix, for software configuration. A range fix specifies the options to change and the range of values at these options. We also design an algorithm that automatically generates range fixes for a violated constraint, based on Reiter’s theory of diagnosis. We have evaluated our approach on data from five open source projects, showing that, for our data set, the algorithm generates complete fix lists that are mostly short and concise, in a fraction of a second.
• TVL (Textual Variability Language). TVL is a text-based (as opposed to diagrammatic) language for feature models with a C-like syntax. The goal of the language is to be scalable, by being concise and by offering mechanisms for modularity, and to be comprehensive so as to cover most of the feature model dialects proposed in the literature. The advantage of a text-based language is that there are many well-accepted applications that support modelling out of the box. Furthermore, choosing a C-like syntax means lowering learning curves for most IT professionals. More information about TVL can be found here.

Selected Publications

Journals

• A. Hubaux, P. Heymans, and P. -Y. Schobbens, “Supporting Multiple Perspectives in Feature-based Configuration (To Appear),” Software and Systems Modeling (SoSyM), 2011.
  [Bibtex]

  @ARTICLE{Hubaux2011,
    author = {Hubaux, A. and Heymans, P. and Schobbens, P.-Y},
    title = {Supporting Multiple Perspectives in Feature-based Configuration (To Appear)},
    journal = {Software and Systems Modeling (SoSyM)},
    year = {2011},
    note = {Springer Berlin / Heidelberg},
  }

Conferences

• Y. Xiong, A. Hubaux, S. She, and K. Czarnecki, “Generating Range Fixes for Software Configuration,” in Proceedings of the 34th International Conference on Software Engineering
  (ICSE’12), Zurich, Switzerland, 2012.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Xiong2012,
    author = {Xiong, Y. and Hubaux, A. and She, S. and Czarnecki, K.},
    title = {Generating Range Fixes for Software Configuration},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 34th International Conference on Software Engineering
    (ICSE'12)},
    year = {2012},
    address = {Zurich, Switzerland},
    publisher = {IEEE Computer Society},
    note = {(to appear)},
    owner = {ahubaux},
    timestamp = {2012.01.27}
  }

• E. Abbasi, A. Hubaux, and P. Heymans, “A Toolset for Feature-based Configuration Workflows,” in Proceedings of the 15th International Software Product Lines Conference
  (SPLC’11), Munich, Germany, 2011, pp. 65-69.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Abbasi2011,
    author = {Abbasi, E. and Hubaux, A. and Heymans, P.},
    title = {A Toolset for Feature-based Configuration Workflows},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 15th International Software Product Lines Conference
    (SPLC'11)},
    year = {2011},
    pages = {65--69},
    address = {Munich, Germany},
    publisher = {IEEE Computer Society}
  }

• A. Hubaux, Q. Boucher, H. Hartmann, R. Michel, and P. Heymans, “Evaluating a Textual Feature Modelling Language: Four Industrial
  Case Studies,” in Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Software Language
  Engineering (SLE’10), Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 2010, pp. 337-356.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Hubaux2010c,
    author = {Hubaux, A. and Boucher, Q. and Hartmann, H. and Michel, R. and Heymans,
    P.},
    title = {Evaluating a Textual Feature Modelling Language: Four Industrial
    Case Studies},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Software Language
    Engineering (SLE'10)},
    year = {2010},
    volume = {6563},
    pages = {337-356},
    address = {Eindhoven, The Netherlands},
    publisher = {Springer Berlin / Heidelberg}
  }

• A. Hubaux, P. Heymans, P. -Y. Schobbens, and D. Deridder, “Towards Multi-View Feature-based Configuration,” in Proceedings of the 16th International Working Conference on Requirements
  Engineering:Foundation for Software Quality (REFSQ’10), Essen, Germany, 2010, pp. 106-112.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Hubaux2010a,
    author = {Hubaux, A. and Heymans, P. and Schobbens, P.-Y. and Deridder, D.},
    title = {Towards Multi-View Feature-based Configuration},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 16th International Working Conference on Requirements
    Engineering:Foundation for Software Quality (REFSQ'10)},
    year = {2010},
    pages = {106-112},
    address = {Essen, Germany},
    publisher = {Springer-Verlag}
  }

• T. T. Tun, Q. Boucher, A. Classen, A. Hubaux, and P. Heymans, “Relating Requirements and Feature Configurations: A Systematic Approach,” in Proceedings of the 13th International Software Product Lines Conference
  (SPLC’09), San Francisco, CA, USA, 2009, pp. 201-210.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Tun2009,
    author = {Tun, T. T. and Boucher, Q. and Classen, A. and Hubaux, A. and Heymans,
    P.},
    title = {Relating Requirements and Feature Configurations: A Systematic Approach},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 13th International Software Product Lines Conference
    (SPLC'09)},
    year = {2009},
    pages = {201-210},
    address = {San Francisco, CA, USA},
    publisher = {ACM Press}
  }

• A. Hubaux, A. Classen, and P. Heymans, “Formal Modelling of Feature Configuration Workflow,” in Proceedings of the 13th International Software Product Lines Conference
  (SPLC’09), San Francisco, CA, USA, 2009, pp. 221-230.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Hubaux2009b,
    author = {Hubaux, A. and Classen, A. and Heymans, P.},
    title = {Formal Modelling of Feature Configuration Workflow},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 13th International Software Product Lines Conference
    (SPLC'09)},
    year = {2009},
    pages = {221--230},
    address = {San Francisco, CA, USA},
    publisher = {Carnegie Mellon University}
  }

• A. Hubaux, P. Heymans, and D. Benavides, “Variability Modelling Challenges from the Trenches of an Open Source
  Product Line Re-Engineering Project,” in Proceedings of the 12th International Software Product Line Conference
  (SPLC’08), Limerick, Ireland, 2008, pp. 55-64.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Hubaux2008,
    author = {Hubaux, A. and Heymans, P. and Benavides, D.},
    title = {Variability Modelling Challenges from the Trenches of an Open Source
    Product Line Re-Engineering Project},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 12th International Software Product Line Conference
    (SPLC'08)},
    year = {2008},
    pages = {55-64},
    address = {Limerick, Ireland},
    publisher = {IEEE Computer Society}
  }

Workshops

• Q. Boucher, E. Abbasi, A. Hubaux, G. Perrouin, M. Acher, and P. Heymans, “Towards More Reliable Configurators: A Re-engineering Perspective (to appear),” in Proceedings of the International Workshop on Product LinE Approaches in Software Engineering (PLEASE’12), Zurich, Switzerland, 2012.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Boucher2012,
    author = {Boucher, Q. and Abbasi, E. and Hubaux, A. and Perrouin, G. and Acher, M. and Heymans, P.},
    title = {Towards More Reliable Configurators: A Re-engineering Perspective (to appear)},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Workshop on Product LinE Approaches in Software Engineering (PLEASE'12)},
    year = {2012},
    address = {Zurich, Switzerland},
    publisher = {IEEE Computer Society},
  }

• A. Hubaux, Y. Xiong, and K. Czarnecki, “A Survey of Configuration Challenges in Linux and eCos,” in Proceedings of the Sixth International Workshop on Variability Modelling
  of Software-intensive Systems (VaMoS’12), Leipzig, Germany, 2012, pp. 149-155.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Hubaux2012,
    author = {Hubaux, A. and Xiong, Y. and Czarnecki, K.},
    title = {A Survey of Configuration Challenges in Linux and eCos},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the Sixth International Workshop on Variability Modelling
    of Software-intensive Systems (VaMoS'12)},
    year = {2012},
    pages = {149--155},
    address = {Leipzig, Germany},
    publisher = {ACM Press}
  }

• R. Michel, A. Classen, A. Hubaux, and Q. Boucher, “A Formal Semantics for Feature Cardinalities in Feature Diagrams,” in Proceedings of the 5th International Workshop on Variability Modelling
  of Software-intensive Systems (VaMoS’11), Namur, Belgium, 2011, pp. 82-89.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Michel2011,
    author = {Michel, R. and Classen, A. and Hubaux, A. and Boucher, Q.},
    title = {A Formal Semantics for Feature Cardinalities in Feature Diagrams},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 5th International Workshop on Variability Modelling
    of Software-intensive Systems (VaMoS'11)},
    year = {2011},
    pages = {82-89},
    address = {Namur, Belgium},
    publisher = {ACM Press}
  }

• A. Hubaux, E. Abbasi, A. Classen, and P. Heymans, “Workflow-driven Product Derivation (Invited Talk),” in Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on Product Line Requirements Engineering
  and Quality (PLREQ’10), Essen, Germany, 2010, pp. 39-41.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Hubaux2010d,
    author = {Hubaux, A. and Abbasi, E. and Classen, A. and Heymans, P.},
    title = {Workflow-driven Product Derivation (Invited Talk)},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on Product Line Requirements Engineering
    and Quality (PLREQ'10)},
    year = {2010},
    pages = {39--41},
    address = {Essen, Germany}
  }

• A. Hubaux, A. Classen, M. Mendoncca, and P. Heymans, “A Preliminary Review on the Application of Feature Diagrams in Practice,” in Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Variability Modelling
  of Software-intensive Systems (VaMoS’10), Linz, Austria, 2010, pp. 53-59.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Hubaux2010,
    author = {Hubaux, A. and Classen, A. and Mendon\c{c}a, M. and Heymans, P.},
    title = {A Preliminary Review on the Application of Feature Diagrams in Practice},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Variability Modelling
    of Software-intensive Systems (VaMoS'10)},
    year = {2010},
    pages = {53--59},
    address = {Linz, Austria},
    publisher = {Universit{\"a}t Duisburg-Essen}
  }

• H. Unphon, Y. Dittrich, and A. Hubaux, “Taking Care of Cooperation when Evolving Socially Embedded Systems:
  The PloneMeeting Case,” in Proceedings of the Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software
  Engineering (CHASE’09), collocated with ICSE’09, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2009, pp. 96-103.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Unphon2009,
    author = {Unphon, H. and Dittrich, Y. and Hubaux, A.},
    title = {Taking Care of Cooperation when Evolving Socially Embedded Systems:
    The PloneMeeting Case},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the Workshop on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software
    Engineering (CHASE'09), collocated with ICSE'09},
    year = {2009},
    pages = {96-103},
    address = {Vancouver, BC, Canada},
    publisher = {IEEE Computer Society}
  }

• A. Hubaux and P. Heymans, “On the Evaluation and Improvement of Feature-based Configuration
  Techniques in Software Product Lines,” in Proceeding of the 31st International Conference on Software Engineering
  (ICSE’09), Companion Volume, Doctoral Symposium, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2009, pp. 367-370.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Hubaux2009,
    author = {Hubaux, A. and Heymans, P.},
    title = {On the Evaluation and Improvement of Feature-based Configuration
    Techniques in Software Product Lines},
    booktitle = {Proceeding of the 31st International Conference on Software Engineering
    (ICSE'09), Companion Volume, Doctoral Symposium},
    year = {2009},
    pages = {367-370},
    address = {Vancouver, BC, Canada},
    publisher = {IEEE}
  }

• A. Classen, A. Hubaux, and P. Heymans, “A Formal Semantics for Multi-level Staged Configuration,” in Proceedings of the 3rd International Workshop on Variability Modelling
  of Software-intensive Systems (VaMoS’09), Sevilla, Spain, 2009, pp. 51-60.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Classen2009,
    author = {A. Classen and A. Hubaux and P. Heymans},
    title = {A Formal Semantics for Multi-level Staged Configuration},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 3rd International Workshop on Variability Modelling
    of Software-intensive Systems (VaMoS'09)},
    year = {2009},
    pages = {51-60},
    address = {Sevilla, Spain},
    publisher = {University of Duisburg-Essen}
  }

• A. Hubaux, P. Heymans, and H. Unphon, “Separating Variability Concerns in a Product Line Re-Engineering
  Project,” in International workshop on Early Aspects (EA’08) collocated with AOSD’08, Brussels, Belgium, 2008, pp. 1-8.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Hubaux2008a,
    author = {A. Hubaux and P. Heymans and Unphon, H.},
    title = {Separating Variability Concerns in a Product Line Re-Engineering
    Project},
    booktitle = {International workshop on Early Aspects (EA'08) collocated with AOSD'08},
    year = {2008},
    pages = {1--8},
    address = {Brussels, Belgium},
    publisher = {ACM Press}
  }

• A. Classen, R. Laney, T. T. Tun, P. Heymans, and A. Hubaux, “Using the Event Calculus to Reason about Problem Diagrams,” in Proceedings of the Third International Workshop on Applications and
  Advances in Problem Frames (IWAAPF’08),, Leipzig, Germany, 2008, pp. 74-77.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Classen2008b,
    author = {Classen, A. and Laney, R. and Tun, T. T. and Heymans, P. and Hubaux,
    A.},
    title = {Using the Event Calculus to Reason about Problem Diagrams},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the Third International Workshop on Applications and
    Advances in Problem Frames (IWAAPF'08),},
    year = {2008},
    pages = {74--77},
    address = {Leipzig, Germany},
    publisher = {ACM Press}
  }

• A. Classen, A. Hubaux, F. Sanen, E. Truyen, J. Vallejos, P. Costanza, W. De Meuter, P. Heymans, and W. Joosen, “Modelling Variability in Self-Adaptive Systems: Towards a Research
  Agenda,” in 1st International Workshop on Modularization, Composition, and Generative
  Techniques for Product Line Engineering (McGPLE08), Nashville, USA, 2008.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Classen2008a,
    author = {Classen, A. and Hubaux, A. and Sanen, F. and Truyen, E. and Vallejos,
    J. and Costanza, P. and De Meuter, W. and Heymans, P. and Joosen,
    W.},
    title = {Modelling Variability in Self-Adaptive Systems: Towards a Research
    Agenda},
    booktitle = {1st International Workshop on Modularization, Composition, and Generative
    Techniques for Product Line Engineering (McGPLE08)},
    year = {2008},
    address = {Nashville, USA}
  }

Tools Demos and Posters

• E. Abbasi, A. Hubaux, and P. Heymans, “An Interactive Multi-perspective Toolset for Non-linear Product Configuration Processes (Tool Demo),” in Proceedings of the 15th International Software Product Lines Conference (SPLC’11), Munich, Germany, 2011, pp. 50-50.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Abbasi2011a,
    author = {Abbasi, E. and Hubaux, A. and Heymans, P.},
    title = {An Interactive Multi-perspective Toolset for Non-linear Product Configuration Processes (Tool Demo)},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 15th International Software Product Lines Conference (SPLC'11)},
    year = {2011},
    pages = {50-50},
    address = {Munich, Germany},
    publisher = {IEEE Computer Society},
  }

• A. Classen, A. Hubaux, and P. Heymans, “Analysis of Feature Configuration Workflows (poster),” in Proceedings of the 17th International Requirements Engineering Conference (RE’09), Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 2009.
  [Bibtex]

  @INPROCEEDINGS{Classen2009a,
    author = {Classen, A. and Hubaux, A. and Heymans, P.},
    title = {Analysis of Feature Configuration Workflows (poster)},
    booktitle = {Proceedings of the 17th International Requirements Engineering Conference (RE'09)},
    year = {2009},
    address = {Atlanta, Georgia, USA},
    publisher = {IEEE},
    owner = {ahubaux},
    timestamp = {2009.07.02}
  }

PhD Thesis

• A. Hubaux, “Feature-based Configuration: Collaborative, Dependable, and Controlled,” PhD Thesis, 2012.
  [Bibtex]

  @PHDTHESIS{Hubaux2012a,
    author = {Hubaux, A.},
    title = {Feature-based Configuration: Collaborative, Dependable, and Controlled},
    school = {University of Namur, Belgium},
    year = {2012},
    abstract = {A growing share of products expose sophisticated configurability to handle variations in user and context requirements. Configurators usually rely on variability models, like feature models (FMs), that structure and constrain the available options. However, most feature-based configuration techniques do not scale well to collaborative contexts. They offer limited mechanisms to determine responsibilities and access rights, to schedule configuration tasks, and to resolve conflicts. Fragments of solutions already exist but a unified and formal foundation for collaborative feature-based configuration is still missing.
  
  To provide enhanced control and guidance, we specify responsibilities and rights with views on the FM. Views establish insulated spaces in which users can safely configure the part of the FM assigned to them. The configuration of these views is regulated by a workflow that defines the configuration process. The result of that combination is a new formalism called feature-based configuration workflow. Finally, to handle conflicts between user decisions, we develop a range fix generation algorithm. These concepts and their properties are integrated into a sound mathematical framework.
  
  Our contribution is motivated and illustrated through several real-world applications: a product line of meeting management applications (PloneMeeting), a product line of communication protocols used in the aerospace industry (CFDP), the Linux kernel, and an operating system for embedded applications (eCos). The definitions and algorithms are implemented in a toolset that extends SPLOT, an open source configuration environment, and YAWL, a comprehensive workflow management environment. This toolset demonstrates the efficiency and applicability of our contribution.
  }
  }