Product Line Merge Driver

The PLAMerge Driver provides a GUI which allows a simple means of graphically invoking the PLAMerge C2 component. To use the PLAMerge Driver, one must open up the target architecture and diff document in the File Manager/Invoker. There are 4 steps that the user must follow in order to successfully merge a set of changes into an architecture:

Step 1: Select a diff document
To begin, select a desired diff document from the Diff document drop down list. If no diff document is loaded in the File Manager/Invoker the Diff document drop down list will display the following value: [No Architectures Open]. If this is the case, load a diff document in with the File Manager/Invoker.

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Step 2: Select a target architecture
The next step is to select a target architecture from the Architecture to Merge drop down list. This specifies which architecture the PLAMerge component should merge the diff changes into. If no architecture is open in the File Manager/Invoker then the Architecture to Merge drop down list will display the following value:[No Architectures Open]. If this is the case, load an architecture in with the File Manager/Invoker.

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Step 3: Choose a starting point
Depending on the type of starting point (Type-Version or ArchStructure) found in the diff document, the PLAMerge Driver will present to the user one of two different views from which a starting point can be chosen. If the diff document contains an instruction to perform changes into a Type-Version then the PLAMerge Driver will present a view that allows the user to select a type and version as a starting point for the merge operation. An example of this is shown below:
 

The second view is shown when the diff document contains an instruction to perform changes into an ArchStructure. In this case, the user will be required to specify a specific ArchStructure to merge into. An example of this is shown below:
 

In either of the above cases, if no starting point is selected an error message will be issued.

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Step 4: Perform the merge
Once the above steps have been correctly performed, the only step that remains is to press the Merge button to start performing the merge. Once the process has finished, the changes specified in the diff document will have been applied to the target architecture. The user may perform steps 1-4 as many times as desired.

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Additional questions about the PLAMerge Driver should be sent to Ping H. Chen.

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