Unburdening onboarding in Software Product Lines

Abstract: The number of studies focusing on onboarding in software organizations has increased significantly during the last years. However, current literature overlooks onboarding in Software Product Lines (SPLs). SPLs have been proven effective in managing the increasing variability of industry software and enabling systematic reuse of a product family. Despite these benefits, SPLs are complex and exhibit particular characteristics that distinguish them from traditional software. Due to these peculiarities, SPLs require a tailor-made onboarding process. Assistance tools might help. In this dissertation, we propose assistance tools (i.e., tools built on top of the software project that help learners understand and develop knowledge) as a means for helping newcomers during onboarding in SPLs.