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ICSE 2020
Wed 24 June - Thu 16 July 2020
Sat 11 Jul 2020 16:29 - 16:41 at Silla - A30-Dependencies and Configuration Chair(s): Diomidis Spinellis

Feature flags for continuous deployment and configuration options for customizing software share many similarities, both conceptually and technically. However, neither academic nor practitioner publications seem to distinguish these two concepts. We argue that a distinction is valuable, as applications, goals, and challenges differ fundamentally between feature flags and configuration options. In this work, we explore the differences and commonalities of both concepts to help understand practices and challenges and to help transfer existing solutions (e.g., for testing). To better understand feature flags and how they relate to configuration options, we performed nine semi-structured interviews with feature-flag experts. We discovered a number of distinguishing characteristics but also opportunities for knowledge and technology transfer across both communities. Overall, we think that both communities can learn from each other.

Sat 11 Jul

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16:05 - 17:05
A30-Dependencies and ConfigurationTechnical Papers / Software Engineering in Practice at Silla
Chair(s): Diomidis Spinellis Athens University of Economics and Business
16:05
12m
Talk
Lazy Product Discovery in Huge Configuration SpacesArtifact ReusableTechnicalArtifact Available
Technical Papers
Michael Lienhardt ONERA, Ferruccio Damiani University of Turin, Einar Broch Johnsen University of Oslo, Jacopo Mauro University of Southern Denmark
16:17
12m
Talk
Reducing Run-Time Adaptation Space via Analysis of Possible Utility BoundsTechnical
Technical Papers
Clay Stevens University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Hamid Bagheri University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA
Pre-print
16:29
12m
Talk
Exploring Differences and Commonalities between Feature Flags and Configuration OptionsSEIP
Software Engineering in Practice
Jens Meinicke Carnegie Mellon University, Chu-Pan Wong Carnegie Mellon University, Bogdan Vasilescu Carnegie Mellon University, Christian Kästner Carnegie Mellon University
Pre-print