The foundational legacy of ASL

Abstract. We recall the kernel algebraic specification language ASL and outline its main features in the context of the state of research on algebraic specification at the time it was conceived in the early 1980s. We discuss the most significant new ideas in ASL and the influence they had on subsequent developments in the field and on our own work in particular.

Steps Towards a Method for the Formal Modeling of Dynamic Objects

Fragments of a method to formally specify object-oriented models of a universe of discourse are presented. The task of finding such models is divided into three subtasks, object classification, event specification, and the specification of the life cycle of an object. Each of these subtasks is further subdivided, and for each of the subtasks heuristics are given that can aid the analyst in deciding how to represent a particular aspect of the real world. The main sources of inspiration are Jackson System Development, algebraic specification of data- and object types, and algebraic specification of processes

Transforming ASN.1 Specifications into CafeOBJ to assist with Property Checking

The adoption of algebraic specification/formal method techniques by the networks' research community is happening slowly but steadily. We work towards a software environment that can translate a protocol's specification, from Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1 - a very popular specification language with many applications), into the powerful algebraic specification language CafeOBJ. The resulting code can be used to check, validate and falsify critical properties of systems, at the pre-coding stage of development. In this paper, we introduce some key elements of ASN.1 and CafeOBJ and sketch some first steps towards the implementation of such a tool including a case study.Comment: 8 pages, 12 figure

Selecting reusable components using algebraic specifications

A significant hurdle confronts the software reuser attempting to select candidate components from a software repository - discriminating between those components without resorting to inspection of the implementation(s). We outline a mixed classification/axiomatic approach to this problem based upon our lattice-based faceted classification technique and Guttag and Horning's algebraic specification techniques. This approach selects candidates by natural language-derived classification, by their interfaces, using signatures, and by their behavior, using axioms. We briefly outline our problem domain and related work. Lattice-based faceted classifications are described; the reader is referred to surveys of the extensive literature for algebraic specification techniques. Behavioral support for reuse queries is presented, followed by the conclusions

Algebraic specification of documents

According to recent research, nearly 95 percent of a corporate information is stored in documents. Further studies indicate that companies spent between 6 and 10 percent of their gross revenues printing and distributing documents in several ways: web and cdrom publishing, database storage and retrieval and printing. In this context documents exist in some different formats, from pure ascii files to internal database or text processor formats. It is clear that document reusability and low-cost maintenance are two important issues in the near future. The majority of available document processors is purpose-oriented, reducing the necessary flexibility and reusability of documents. Some waste of time arises from adapting the same text to different purposes. For example you may want to have the same document as an article as a set of slides or as a poster; or you can have a dictionnary document producing a book and a list of words for a spell-checker. This conversion could be done automatically from the first version of the document if it complies some standard requirements. The key idea will be to keep a complete separation between syntax and semantics. In this way we produce an abstract description separating conceptual issues from those concerned with the use. This note proposes a few guidelines to build a system to solve the above problem. Such a system should be an algebraic based environment and provide facilities for: - Document type definitions; - Definition of functions over document types; - Document definitions as algebraic terms. This approach (rooted in the tradition of constructive algebraic specification), will allow for homogeneous environment to deal with operations such as merging documents, converting formats, translating documents, extracting different kinds of information (to set up information repositories, data bases, or semantic networks) or portions of documents (as it happens, for instance, in literate programming), and some other actions, not so traditional, like mail reply, or memo production. We intend to use CAMILA (a specification language and prototyping environment developed at Universidade do Minho, by the Computer Science group) to develop the above mentioned system

CafeOBJ: Logical Foundations and Methodologies

CafeOBJ is an executable industrial strength multi-logic algebraic specification language which is a modern successor of OBJ and incorporates several new algebraic specification paradigms. In this paper we survey its logical foundations and present some of its methodologies

Algebraic specification : syntax, semantics, structure

Algebraic specification is the technique of using algebras to model properties of a system and using axioms to characterize such algebras. Algebraic specification comprises two aspects: the underlying logic used in the axioms and algebras, and the use of a small, general set of operators to build specifications in a structured manner. We describe these two aspects using the unifying notion of institutions. An institution is an abstraction of a logical system, describing the vocabulary, the kinds of axioms, the kinds of algebras, and the relation between them. Using institutions, one can define general structuring operators which are independent of the underlying logic. In this paper, we survey the different kind of logics, syntax, semantics, and structuring operators that have been used in algebraic specification