Patent ID: 8156470

Claim:
A system stored and executed on one or more computers for the mass customization of a software artifact to create one or more software products in a software product family comprising: one or more software artifacts with common data files and common directories, said software artifacts also having one or more file automatons, wherein each of said file automatons serves as a proxy for a real data file that varies between software products within a software product family, said software artifacts also having one or more directory automatons, wherein each of said directory automatons serves as a proxy for a real directory that varies between said software products within said software product family; one or more feature variations for said software product family, wherein each of said feature variations includes two or more selectable values; one or more feature profiles consisting of selected values for each feature variation for a desired software product within said software product family; and wherein a fully automated product actuator provides said feature profile to said file automatons and said directory automatons, thereby automatically instantiating a real data file in place of said file automaton and a real directory in place of said directory automaton to create said desired software product.