Related products frequently share much of the same software, with only a few differences realizing product-specific functionality. However, much of the challenge of developing related products comes from managing these differences. Variant management addresses this problem by enabling the development of a group of related products (known as a Software Product Line) as a whole, rather than as individual, independent projects.

pure::variants is a purpose-built variant management tool. It manages your product line while integrating seamlessly into existing development processes and therefore streamlines the processes of developing your product line as a whole and producing individual product variants.

Variant management is required in all stages of Product Line development. However, traditional software development tools are often focussed on single system development. pure::variants closes this gap by providing a model-based infrastructure for variability modelling and variant definition in all phases of a system development. This allows existing tools to be augmented to handle variability and variants more efficiently. With its open interfaces, variant information can be used consistently in requirements engineering, during systems design and implementation and also in testing.

pure::variants Connector for Simulink^® permits the easy integration of variant management functionality into MATLAB^®/Simulink^®. The connector enables models to be exchanged between Simulink^® or Stateflow^®and pure::variants. pure::variants Connector automates the generation of Simulink^® and Stateflow^®model variants. Model parameters and - elements are adapted according to the specific variant selected. Within pure::variants, model elements can be connected to features using rules. Models are adapted according to these rules and the feature selection for the model variant. This process allows blocks to be removed or added; and block parameters to be changed. Signals can also be connected to different blocks depending on the feature selection. A final model transformation produces Simulink^® or Stateflow^® models matching the desired features.

• powerful variability-modelling language
• automatic conflict detection and resolution during variant definition (feature selection)
• automatic model generation according to selected features
• import of existing Simulink® models
• update of pure::variants models after Simulink^® model changes

• MATLAB^® 7.1 / Simulink^® 6.3 (other releases on request)
• pure::variants release 2.x or newer (Win32, Linux, MacOS X)

Leaflet - Connector for MATLAB^®/Simulink^® (PDF)