Table-based knowledge representations for industrial feature models

Abstract

Configuration knowledge engineering in industrial settings often has to face the challenge that product domain experts do not have background knowledge in formal configuration knowledge representations. In this context, graphical configuration models such as feature models provide a basis for the communication between domain experts and knowledge engineers. However, in many cases domain experts are used to define configuration knowledge in table-based representations. In this paper, we discuss ways of how to represent basic configuration constraint types in the form of a table-based representation thus allowing an alternative definition and exchange of product configuration knowledge.