Feature-oriented engineering of PBX software

PBX (private branch exchange) systems are evolving rapidly due to fast expanding services, ever-changing communication technology, continuously evolving standards, and diverse communication laws and standards in different countries. As new features are added continuously, the detection of feature interaction problems early in the development lifecycle and the resolution of these problems through adaptable software are difficult challenges which all PBX software engineers face. A feature-oriented reuse method (FORM), introduced in this paper, concentrates on analyzing and modeling commonalities and differences in applications of a given domain in terms of features. The analysis results are then used for both the analysis of feature interactions and the engineering of domain-oriented software with a high level of adaptability (and reusability). We found that FORM facilitates the analysis of feature interactions and the variability (and commonality) of software before engineering and implementation begin. By understanding the variability, adaptability and reusability could be built into the software. The software architecture and modules are implemented based on information hiding and encapsulation principles and could easily accommodate new features that have not been considered in the initial feature analysis.