12,057 research outputs found
Formal Reasoning Using an Iterative Approach with an Integrated Web IDE
This paper summarizes our experience in communicating the elements of
reasoning about correctness, and the central role of formal specifications in
reasoning about modular, component-based software using a language and an
integrated Web IDE designed for the purpose. Our experience in using such an
IDE, supported by a 'push-button' verifying compiler in a classroom setting,
reveals the highly iterative process learners use to arrive at suitably
specified, automatically provable code. We explain how the IDE facilitates
reasoning at each step of this process by providing human readable verification
conditions (VCs) and feedback from an integrated prover that clearly indicates
unprovable VCs to help identify obstacles to completing proofs. The paper
discusses the IDE's usage in verified software development using several
examples drawn from actual classroom lectures and student assignments to
illustrate principles of design-by-contract and the iterative process of
creating and subsequently refining assertions, such as loop invariants in
object-based code.Comment: In Proceedings F-IDE 2015, arXiv:1508.0338
A document-like software visualization method for effective cognition of c-based software systems
It is clear that maintenance is a crucial and very costly process in a software life cycle. Nowadays there are a lot of software systems particularly legacy systems that are always maintained from time to time as new requirements arise. One important source to understand a software system before it is being maintained is through the documentation, particularly system documentation. Unfortunately, not all software systems developed or maintained are accompanied with their reliable and updated documents. In this case, source codes will be the only reliable source for programmers. A number of studies have been carried out in order to assist cognition based on source codes. One way is through tool automation via reverse engineering technique in which source codes will be parsed and the information extracted will be visualized using certain visualization methods. Most software visualization methods use graph as the main element to represent extracted software artifacts. Nevertheless, current methods tend to produce more complicated graphs and do not grant an explicit, document-like re-documentation environment. Hence, this thesis proposes a document-like software visualization method called DocLike Modularized Graph (DMG). The method is realized in a prototype tool named DocLike Viewer that targets on C-based software systems. The main contribution of the DMG method is to provide an explicit structural re-document mechanism in the software visualization tool. Besides, the DMG method provides more level of information abstractions via less complex graph that include inter-module dependencies, inter-program dependencies, procedural abstraction and also parameter passing. The DMG method was empirically evaluated based on the Goal/Question/Metric (GQM) paradigm and the findings depict that the method can improve productivity and quality in the aspect of cognition or program comprehension. A usability study was also conducted and DocLike Viewer had the most positive responses from the software practitioners
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