Toward a Library of Formal Designs of Software.
Abstract
The most promising approach to problems of large software systems is the formal specification of module interfaces, during the design phase, based on the information-hiding principle. The advantages of formal specifications are as follows: (1) Their precision, lack of ambiguity, and attention to detail should cut down on design errors. (2) They provide informal verification of a hierarchically designed system while it is being designed. (3) Special design validation teams could rigorously verify a design before it is implemented, perhaps with the aid of automated tools for some of the verification. (4) Formal specification enables rigorous specification of the requirements that an embedded computer system must conform to. (5) They combine with the information-hiding principle to enable design of systems that are much easier to modify and maintain. This research has investigated the feasibility of a library of formal specifications so that designers could build on the work of others and thereby significantly cut the upfront effort involved.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA068970
Entities
People
- Linda Salsburg
- Ralph M. Weischedel
Organizations
- University of Delaware