  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.
