Science o Compu e P og amming 240 (2025) 103214
A ailable online 26 Sep embe 2024
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O iginal so wa e publica ion
FM ac label
Jose-Miguel Ho casa,∗, Jose A. Galindob, Lidia Fuen esa, Da id Bena idesb
aITIS So wa e, Uni e sidad de Málaga, Andalucía Tech, Spain
bI3US, Uni e sidad de Se illa, Spain
A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T
Keywo ds:
Cha ac e iza ion
Fea u e model
Me ics
So wa e p oduc line
Va iabili y
Visualiza ion
FM Fac Label is a ool o isualizing he cha ac e iza ions o ea u e models based on hei
me ada a, s uc u al measu es, and analy ical me ics. Al hough he e a e a ious me ics
a ailable o cha ac e ize ea u e models, he e is no s anda d me hod o isualize and iden i y
unique p ope ies o ea u e models. Unlike exis ing ools, FM Fac Label p o ides a s andalone
web-based pla o m o configu able and in e ac i e isualiza ion, enabling expo o a ious
o ma s. This con ibu ion is significan because i suppo s he Uni e sal Va iabili y Language
(UVL) and enhances he UVL ecosys em by offe ing a common ep esen a ion o he esul s o
exis ing analysis ools.
Me ada a
See Table 1.
Table 1
Code me ada a.
N . Code me ada a desc ip ion Please fill in his column
C1 Cu en code e sion 1.0.0
C2 Pe manen link o code/ eposi o y used o his code e sion h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.12794159
C3 Pe manen link o Rep oducible Capsule h ps:// m ac label.adaby on.uma.es/
C4 Legal Code License GNU Gene al Public License (GPL)
C5 Code e sioning sys em used gi
C6 So wa e code languages, ools, and se ices used Py hon, Ja aSc ip , HTML, CSS
C7 Compila ion equi emen s, ope a ing en i onmen s and dependencies Py hon 3.9, Flama, D3.js
C8 Link o de elope documen a ion/manual h ps:// m ac label.gi hub.io/
C9 Suppo email o ques ions [email p o ec ed]
1. Mo i a ion and significance
•Fea u e models (FMs) a e he de ac o s anda d o modeling a iabili y in so wa e p oduc lines (SPLs), and he Uni e sal Va i-
abili y Language (UVL) is gaining ac ion as a ex ual language o speci ying FMs. In p ac ice, when handling la ge-scale FMs,
* Co esponding au ho .
E-mail add ess: [email p o ec ed] (J.-M. Ho cas).
h ps://doi.o g/10.1016/j.scico.2024.103214
Recei ed 29 Feb ua y 2024; Recei ed in e ised o m 31 July 2024; Accep ed 23 Sep embe 2024
Science o Compu e P og amming 240 (2025) 103214
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Fig. 1. So wa e a chi ec u e FM Fac Label.
hei ex ual ep esen a ion (in UVL) o hei isual ep esen a ion (as a ea u e diag am) offe limi ed assis ance in pinpoin ing
he dis inguishing p ope ies ha make an FM unique. FM Fac Label con ibu es o he UVL ecosys em by p o iding a ool o
effec i ely isualize he in o ma ion o an FM in e ms o i s me ada a, and i s s uc u al and analy ical me ics.
•FM Fac Label offe s a common ep esen a ion o he cha ac e iza ion o an FM in he o m o a ac label. Adhe ing o he
p inciples and bes design p ac ices om he isualiza ion field [1], he ool p o ides an in e ac i e and adap able isualiza ion,
enabling use s o cus omize he p esen a ion o he FM p ope ies. The ool has been used o analysis and ca ego iza ion o
FMs [2,3], and is cu en ly being in eg a ed wi hin UVLHub [4], a eposi o y o FMs.
•FM Fac Label is a s andalone web-based applica ion whe e he use uploads an FM and a isualiza ion o i s cha ac e iza ion is
au oma ically gene a ed which can be cus omized and expo ed o se e al o ma s.
• Se e al collec ions o me ics o FMs a e a ailable in he li e a u e [5,6], bu hey ocus on assessing he e alua ion o FM
main ainabili y, igno ing de ailed desc ip ion o an FM beyond quali y. FM Fac Label allows SPL p ac i ione s o be e choice
hei FMs in diffe en scena ios (e.g., eaching pu poses, scalabili y e alua ion, model compa isons). While cu en SPL ools
such as Fea u eIDE [7], Glencoe [8], SPLOT [9], and DyMMe [10] epo syn ac ic and seman ic s a is ics o FMs, hey lack a
isualiza ion componen o efficien ly con ey he esul s ou side he ool o IDE. FM Fac Label delega es he au oma ed analysis
o FMs o flama [11], and uses D3 [12], a da a-d i en app oach o isualiza ion based on web s anda ds. Mo eo e , FM Fac Label
p o ides mo e in o ma ion, cu en ly offe ing 46 me ics, compa ed o o he SPL ools such as DyMMe (38 me ics), Glencoe
(27 me ics), Fea u eIDE (16 me ics), and SPLOT (14 me ics).
2. So wa e desc ip ion
FM Fac Label is a web-based applica ion accessible online, which cons uc s a cha ac e iza ion o a gi en FM and p oduces i s
isualiza ion in he o m o a ac label inspi ed by he nu i ion ac label commonly seen in he ood indus y. This isualiza ion aims
o clea ly dis inguish a ious ypes o in o ma ion con ained wi hin he FM cha ac e iza ion: (1) The name o he FM; (2) Me ada a o
he FM such as a b ie desc ip ion, keywo ds, au ho (s), yea , domain, and DOI o he pape whe e i is published; (3) The s uc u al
me ics o syn a ical s a is ics o he FM, including he ea u e ee ela ions, c oss- ee cons ain s, and o he pa ame e s; and (4)
The analysis esul s o seman ical me ics ob ained by easoning on he FM (i.e., using a SAT o a BDD sol e ).
2.1. So wa e a chi ec u e
Fig. 1ou lines he ool’s a chi ec u e and echnologies. The ool i sel offe s a web se ice o upload he FM and i s me ada a ia
an online o m (Web Se ice componen ). I suppo s FMs in UVL and Fea u eIDE o ma s. The FM Cha ac e iza ion module
in he se e -side ga he s and manages all he FM in o ma ion. We dis inguish h ee kinds o in o ma ion: me ada a (FM Me ada a),
s uc u al me ics (FM Me ics), and analysis esul s (FM Analysis), ea ing all o hem as an FM p ope y. Each FM P ope y
includes a name, a desc ip ion, and a pa en p ope y o hie a chical o ganiza ion in he ac label. P ope ies a e associa ed wi h an
FM P ope y Measu e ha p o ides he specific alues o he p ope y. Fo ins ance, he lis o abs ac ea u es, hei size, and
Science o Compu e P og amming 240 (2025) 103214
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Fig. 2. Fac label o an FM cha ac e iza ion and main unc ionali ies o he ool.
a io o he ABSTRACT FEATURES p ope y. Analysis asks a e delega ed o ex e nal ools, wi h he cu en implemen a ion elying
on flama [11](da k componen in Fig. 1).
The ool encompasses 46 measu es, wi h he possibili y o being ex ended o include addi ional me ics om he SPL li e a u e. All
in o ma ion included in each FM P ope y and i s FM P ope y Measu e is se ialized in JSON o send i o he clien -side. The
ac label isualiza ion is gene a ed using D3 [12]on he clien -side (Visualiza ion componen ). D3 is based on web s anda ds
(HTML, CSS, Ja aSc ip , SVG, and JSON) o in eg a e isualiza ion componen s and employs a da a-d i en app oach o dynamic
ans o ma ions.
2.2. So wa e unc ionali ies
The gene a ed ac label is (1) comple ely cus omizable, and (2) in e ac i e. This means, fi s , ha all me ada a a e op ional,
allowing use s o inpu only ele an in o ma ion. Second, configu able op ions enable use s o selec i ely collapse o expand FM
sub-p ope ies o hide p ope ies wi h ze o o emp y alues. Addi ionally, ho e ing o e a p ope y e eals i s desc ip ion in a
ool ip, while clicking on i e eals i s specific alue. Thi d, he configu ed isualiza ion can be expo ed in high-quali y SVG o ma
o inclusion in esea ch publica ions o as a PNG image o online po abili y. Las ly, he en i e FM cha ac e iza ion can be expo ed
in JSON o ma o plain ex o in e ope abili y wi h o he SPL ools o u he analysis such as s a is ical analysis o FMs’ da ase s.
3. Illus a i e examples
Fig. 2depic s he ac label isualiza ion and majo unc ions o he ool. Ten eal ea u e models a e p o ided wi hin he ool as
examples o i s usage which can also be downloaded. A ac label o he Linux ea u e model (one o he la ges models in he SPL
communi y) is a ailable in [13].
4. Impac
•FM Fac Label imp o es he cha ac e iza ion o FMs beyond suppo ing hei quali y e alua ion. The ool allows SPL p ac i ione s
o answe ques ions such as which FMs can be used o e alua e a new algo i hm implemen ed o op imize configu a ions?, o which a e
he p ope ies o he FMs ha effec he scalabili y o you p oposal?, o which FM is mo e app op ia e o eaching pu poses?, among
o he s.
•By including all undamen al in o ma ion, no jus main enance me ics, he ool allows SPL p ac i ione s o be e selec hei
FMs in diffe en scena ios. Fo ins ance, o eaching pu poses, a small FM ha includes a leas one ea u e and ela ion o each
ype (e.g., an o -g oup, an xo -g oup, a equi es and an excludes cons ain , a dead- ea u e) is mo e app op ia e han a la ge
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J.-M. Ho cas, J.A. Galindo, L. Fuen es e al.
FM ha canno e en be comple ely isualized in a ea u e diag am. In con as , o e alua e he scalabili y o a new analysis
ope a ion, a la ge-scale FM wi h housands o ea u es and cons ain s may be p e e able [3].
• Thanks o FM Fac Label ool, use s can now ocus on he FM i sel wi hou he bu den o acqui ing o analyzing i s p ope ies.
The e is no need o use s o ins all o manage sepa a e analysis ools.
•F om he fi s elease o he FM Fac Label in 2022 [13], he ool has ecei ed 13 ci a ions acco ding o Google Schola , includ-
ing [2–4].
•The ool is cu en ly being in eg a ed in o UVLHub [4]. UVLHub is a eposi o y o FMs da ase s using UVL and Open Science
p inciples de eloped by se e al pa ne s o he SPL communi y.
5. Conclusions
FM Fac Label acili a es he gene a ion o common isualiza ions ep esen ing FM cha ac e iza ions h ough he in eg a ion o FM
me ada a, syn ac ical me ics, and analy ical da a. I s adap able a chi ec u e allows o seamless in eg a ion in o he UVL ecosys em
and easy ex ension o accommoda e o he FM analysis ools and addi ional me ics. This ool helps SPL p ac i ione s o disce n he
unique a ibu es o FMs and selec he mos sui able FM o hei specific equi emen s. We an icipa e he in eg a ion o FM Fac
Label in o a ious ools as an independen componen [4].
6. Fu u e plans
We plan o expand FM Fac Label o cha ac e ize da ase s o FMs, and inco po a e addi ional ea u es such as h esholds o he
me ics, and configu a ion op ions such as a ho izon al isualiza ion o he label. A comple e lis o planned ea u es is a ailable in
he Gi Hub p ojec .
CRediT au ho ship con ibu ion s a emen
Jose-Miguel Ho cas: W i ing – o iginal d a , Visualiza ion, So wa e, Me hodology, In es iga ion, Concep ualiza ion. Jose A.
Galindo: W i ing – e iew & edi ing, Visualiza ion, Valida ion, So wa e, Fo mal analysis. Lidia Fuen es: W i ing – e iew & edi ing,
Valida ion, Supe ision, Resou ces, Funding acquisi ion, Concep ualiza ion. Da id Bena ides: W i ing – e iew & edi ing, Resou ces,
P ojec adminis a ion, Me hodology, Funding acquisi ion, Concep ualiza ion.
Decla a ion o compe ing in e es
The au ho s decla e he ollowing financial in e es s/pe sonal ela ionships which may be conside ed as po en ial compe ing
in e es s: Lidia Fuen es, Da id Bena ides epo s financial suppo and a el we e p o ided by Minis y o Science, Inno a ion and
Uni e si ies (Spain). Lidia Fuen es, Da id Bena ides epo s financial suppo and a el we e p o ided by Jun a de Andalucía. Mónica
Pin o, edi o o his special issue, also con ibu ed o he fi s e sion o his p ojec . I he e a e o he au ho s, hey decla e ha hey
ha e no known compe ing financial in e es s o pe sonal ela ionships ha could ha e appea ed o influence he wo k epo ed in
his pape .
Acknowledgemen s
We hank Mónica Pin o who has also con ibu ed o his p ojec . This wo k was pa ially suppo ed by EU, FEDER/Minis y o Sci-
ence, Inno a ion and Uni e si ies/Jun a de Andalucía/S a e Resea ch Agency/CDTI wi h he ollowing g an s: TASOVA PLUS esea ch
ne wo k (RED2022-134337-T), IRIS (PID2021-122812OB-I00) (FEDER unds), DAEMON (H2020-101017109), Da a-pl (PID2022-
138486OB-I00), AquaIA (GOPG-SE-23-0011) and MIDAS (IDI-20230256). Funding o open access cha ge: Uni e sidad de Málaga/
CBUA.
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