FBCOP vs COP: a comparison of their maintainability and reusability in practice

Details

Supervisors

Legay, Axel ; Duhoux, Benoît

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences informatiques, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

This thesis presents a comparative study of the maintainability and reusability between Feature-Based Context-Oriented Programming (FBCOP) and Context-Oriented Programming (COP). Through a unique application implemented in both paradigms, we examine the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, using tailored metrics and a questionnaire based on the Cognitive Dimension Framework (CDF) that gathers user experiences. Our analysis reveals that while FBCOP offers improved maintainability and reusability in certain aspects, such as feature implementation, it is also less maintainable and reusable than COP due to its project structure and architecture. We propose several solutions to address these inconsistencies, including a unified project structure and architecture, interactive tutorials, improved documentation, and enhanced error handling. Our discoveries globally provide a nuanced comparison between FBCOP and COP which reflects the complexities of the reality.