No abstract

Abstract. This paper reports on the use of formal specifications in the development of a software maintenance tool for specializing imperative programs, which have become very complex due to extensive modifications. The tool is specified in terms of inference rules and operates by induction on the abstract syntax. The correctness of these rules is proved using rule induction. A Prolog prototype has been derived for Fortran programs, using the Centaur programming environment.

International audienceThis paper describes a tool for facilitating the comprehension of general programs using automatic specialization. The goal of this approach was to assist in the maintenance of old programs, which have become very complex due to numerous extensions. This paper explains why this approach was chosen, how the tool's architecture was set up, and how the correctness of the specialization has been proved. Then, it discusses the results obtained by using this tool, and the future evolution

No abstract

This paper describes a technique and a tool that support partial evaluation of FORTRAN programs, i.e., their specialization for specific values of their input variables. The authors’ aim is to understand old programs, which have become very complex due to numerous extensions. From a given FORTRAN program and these values of its input variables, the tool provides a simplified program, which behaves like the initial program for the specific values. This tool mainly uses constant propagation and simplification of alternatives to one of their branches. The tool is specified in terms of inference rules and operates by induction on the FORTRAN abstract syntax. These rules are compiled into Prolog by the Centaur/FORTRAN programming environment. The completeness and soundness of these rules are proven using rule induction.