Welcome to the Software Technologies and Applied Research (STAR) Lab

Data and code
Creating software solutions for complex applications and systems.

The Software Technologies Applied Research (STAR) Lab, housed within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, is a dynamic hub for applied software engineering innovation. Our mission is to pioneer advanced methodologies and tools that enable the development of high-quality, cost-effective software systems, driving impactful solutions for real-world challenges.

Automated software development plays a pivotal role in boosting programmer productivity, enhancing product quality, reducing maintenance costs, and improving application performance. At the STAR Lab, our research focuses on developing practical, domain-specific, component-based design methodologies to enable the synthesis of large-scale applications.

Our research activities are rooted in two complementary themes:

  1. A scientific approach to understanding complex software systems.
  2. An engineering focus on controlling, modifying, and designing these systems.

We explore a wide range of topics, including:

  • Program Understanding: Gaining deep insights into software behavior and functionality.
  • Reverse Engineering: Decoding and analyzing existing systems to facilitate innovation.
  • Feature-Oriented Software Design: Designing systems around specific, customizable functionalities.
  • Extensible Software Systems: Crafting adaptable software that evolves to meet diverse application needs.
  • Adaptive Software Systems: Developing software that self-reconfigures to optimize performance dynamically.
  • Software Architectures: Constructing component-based applications.
  • Object-Oriented Design Patterns: Applying proven design strategies to build robust, reusable software solutions.

Through this comprehensive approach, the STAR Lab pushes the boundaries of software engineering, creating transformative solutions for the challenges of tomorrow.

News

On November 28th, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Waterloo unveiled the future of software engineering with its second Project Showcase for the graduate course Engineering Self-Adaptive Software Systems (ESASS). Led by Dr. Ladan Tahvildari, this innovative course, with support from IBM, integrates cutting-edge industry technologies with research-driven, hands-on learning to tackle real-world challenges in software adaptability.

Congratulations to Ryan Liu, a PhD student in electrical and computer engineering (ECE); Shreya Shinde, ECE alum from the MEng program; Dr. Ladan Tahvildari, Professor in ECE; and IBM collaborators Dr. Mark Stoodley, Dr. Marius Pirvu, and Vijay Sundaresan on their remarkable achievement!

Their paper, "Using Semeru Cloud Compiler to Enhance Cloud-Native Java Application Performance," was honored with the Best Paper Award at the 34th International Conference on Collaborative Advances in Software and Computing (CASCON).