Combining VDM-SL specifications with C++ code

Fröhlich, Brigitte; Larsen, Peter Gorm

doi:10.1007/3-540-60973-3_87

Cited by 13 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…Here the effort/insight balance is affected by the ease of doing this kind of integration. Features for combining existing code with a formal model may prove valuable [80], as may facilities for combining with a GUI interface [81].…”

Section: Connection To the Development Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Balancing Insight and Effort: The Industrial Uptake of Formal Methods

Fitzgerald

Larsen

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

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This paper is a contribution to the Festschrift marking the 70th birthdays of Prof. Dines Bjoerner and Prof. Zhou Chaochen. Our goal is to help the developers of computer-based systems to make informed design decisions on the basis of insights gained from the rigorous analysis of abstract system models. The early work on model-oriented specification has inspired the development of numerous formalisms and tools supporting modelling and analysis. There are also many stories of successful industrial application, often driven by a few champions possessing deep a priori understanding of formalisms. There are fewer cases of successful take-up or adoption of the technologyin the long term.We argue that successful industrial adoption of this technology requires that potential users strike a balance between the effort expended in producing and analysing a model and insight gained. In order to support this balancing act, tools need to offer a range of levels of effort and insight. Further, educators need to recognise that training in formal development techniques must support this trade-off process. AbstractThis paper is a contribution to the Festschrift marking the 70th birthdays of Prof. Dines Bjoerner and Prof. Zhou Chaochen. Our goal is to help the developers of computer-based systems to make informed design decisions on the basis of insights gained from the rigorous analysis of abstract system models. The early work on modeloriented specification has inspired the development of numerous formalisms and tools supporting modelling and analysis. There are also many stories of successful industrial application, often driven by a few champions possessing deep a priori understanding of formalisms. There are fewer cases of successful take-up or adoption of the technology in the long term. We argue that successful industrial adoption of this technology requires that potential users strike a balance between the effort expended in producing and analysing a model and insight gained. In order to support this balancing act, tools need to offer a range of levels of effort and insight. Further, educators need to recognise that training in formal development techniques must support this trade-off process. About the authorJohn Fitzgerald is Reader in Computing Science at Newcastle University. His research concerns the use of formal methods to support the design of systems that reconfigure in response to threats. He is co-Investigator in the Trustworthy Ambient Systems project and is Chairman of Formal Methods Europe. Peter Gorm Larsen is Professor of Computer Technology and Embedded Systems at The Engineering College ofAarhus, Denmark and an independent consultant. An authority on system modelling, particularly the Vienna Development Method, he has pioneered the development of industrial-strength tool support for model-oriented specification languages, heading the group that initially developed VDMTools(R) now owned by CSK. Abstract. Our goal is to help the developers of computer-based systems to make informed design decisions...

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Section: Connection To the Development Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Balancing Insight and Effort: The Industrial Uptake of Formal Methods

Fitzgerald

Larsen

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

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“…The first publication on the IFAD VDM-SL Toolbox as a whole had been made in 1994 [25]. Additional features were subsequently developed including a type checker [26], connection of the interpreter to legacy code [27] inspired by the CAMILA work, and proof obligation generation [28,29]. Industrial applications covered satellite launching software [30,31], door control software for metro rail systems [32], satellite software [33], banknote processing control [34] and auction software [35].…”

Section: Camila/sets and Ifad Vdm-sl Toolbox Developed In Parallelmentioning

confidence: 99%

The evolution of VDM tools from the 1990s to 2015 and the influence of CAMILA

Larsen

Fitzgerald

2016

Journal of Logical and Algebraic Methods in Programming

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The Vienna Development Method (VDM) is one of the most mature formal methods, with a history of cost-effective industrial deployment. One important route for this has been the development of robust tools supporting the construction of models, and their animation. We trace the history of this strand of work from the mid-1990s to 2015, taking as our starting point challenges for the industrial usage of formal methods set out by José Nuno Oliveira in 1997. We describe five generations of VDM tools: the IFAD VDM Toolbox, VDMTools, Overture, Crescendo and Symphony, emphasising the influence that the goal of industry usage has had on their features and architectures. We chart the move from a single-formalism tool focussed on executable VDM specifications to a platform for multi-tool analysis of a wider range of models, and look forward to the growth of integrated multidisciplinary toolchains from the ongoing INTO-CPS project. We briefly compare the VDM tool story with the approaches taken by other formalisms that have been applied in industry.

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“…Frohlich and Larsen describe a functionality in the VDMTools [143] tool suite for VDM that makes it possible to execute specifications consisting of both specification and externally specified C++ code [79]. The external code is loaded from Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs) and new syntax is introduced in VDM that defines an implementation module type in which an export section can define signatures for functions defined in external libraries.…”

Section: Related Work and State Of The Artmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strengthening Collaboration, Integration and Modelling in System of Systems Engineering

Nielsen

2014

Strengthening Collaboration, Integration and Modelling in System of Systems Engineering

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As people and businesses experience the advantages and capabilities enabled by increased connectivity and integration between computer systems, a higher demand arises for the functionality and services that systems must provide. This necessitates the creation of a type of highly complex systems that themselves contain systems, which have a high degree of interconnectivity and interactions between them. This type of system is known as a System of Systems, which denotes a system that itself contains a group of heterogeneous constituent systems that via the interactions between them create a synergistic collaboration through which a higher common goal can be achieved. The development of a System of Systems is challenged by a high degree of complexity in the form of diverse stakeholders, geographical distributed development, a constant system evolution, an unpredictable emergence of behaviour, and the heterogeneity between the constituent systems. These challenges are being addressed in the field of Systems of Systems Engineering. The methodologies and tools used for analysis and development are however still in their infancy. This dissertation is focused on strengthening the Systems of Systems Engineering field by using a combination of Software Engineering and Systems Engineering, specifically with a focus on formal model based engineering techniques and tool-support hereof. The dissertation has three focus areas: managing integration challenges, enhancing the capabilities of System of Systems modelling and enabling collaborative development in formal modelling. The result is: a range of classification dimensions that characterise System of Systems; a System of Systems classification for design patterns; and multiple approaches for improving the tool-support for formal modelling techniques in System of Systems Engineering. vii There are a number of people who have been important in the completion of this dissertation, as their support, guidance and assistance made it all possible. To all of these, and many others, who contributed academically or personally, I owe a great deal. First I want to thank my supervisor Professor Peter Gorm Larsen from the Department of Engineering, Aarhus University. He has had a remarkable impact on both my research and my personal development. I am highly thankful for all he has taught me, both consciously and unconsciously, through his guidance, time and ideas. His never ending support and enthusiasm is both contagious and motivational. I want to acknowledge my colleagues in the COMPASS project whom have contributed strongly to my research by providing a foundation on which the research could be performed. They have contributed to my research with valuable ideas and feedback, for which I owe them my strongest appreciation. I also owe a strong recognition and thank you to Kenneth Lausdahl and Nick Battle for they support and work with the tool development efforts. Their impressive technical insights and expertises have been invaluable in the technical aspects of this dissertation. I wan...

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Combining VDM-SL specifications with C++ code

Cited by 13 publications

References 10 publications

Balancing Insight and Effort: The Industrial Uptake of Formal Methods

Balancing Insight and Effort: The Industrial Uptake of Formal Methods

The evolution of VDM tools from the 1990s to 2015 and the influence of CAMILA

Strengthening Collaboration, Integration and Modelling in System of Systems Engineering

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