14.6 Summary

This chapter presented an architecture-based development paradigm known as software product lines. The product line approach is steadily climbing in popularity as more organizations see true order-of-magnitude improvements in cost, schedule, and quality from using it.

Like all new technologies, however, this one holds some surprises for the unaware. Architecturally, the key is identifying and managing commonalities and variations, but nontechnical issues must be addressed as well, including how the organization adopts the model, structures itself, and maintains its external interfaces.