Integrated Structured Analysis and Formal Specification Techniques

A meta-method for formal method integration

“…Heterogeneous notations are useful for a number of reasons: for producing simpler speci cation languages ZaJ93 ; for writing simpler speci cations than might be produced using a single language ZaM93 ; for ease of expression BoH94 ; and because they have been proven to be successful in practice ZaJ95, SFD92,Hal96 . The formal meaning of a heterogeneous speci cation is given by de ning the semantics of all the notation compositions. Formal meaning is provided by a heterogeneous basis.…”

SOFL: a formal engineering methodology for industrial applications

“…One is to use the Yourdon or the DeMarco approach to construct a data ow diagram and its associated data dictionary, and then to rene the data ow diagram into a formal specication by dening data ows and bottom level processes with the formal notations. The examples of this approach include Semmens and Allen's work on integrating Yourdon's method and Z [18], Bryant's work on Yourdon's method and Z [19], Fraser's work on data ow diagrams and VDM [20], and Plat and his colleagues' integration of data ow diagrams and VDM [21]. The other approach is to incorporate traditional data ow diagram notation into a formal specication language to provide a mechanism for structuring system specications and a graphical view for the system specication.…”

Towards industrially applicable formal methods: three small steps, and one giant leap

“…There has been much written in recent years e.g. [6,35] about the drawbacks of using formal notations (such as those based on settheory) to describe intended behaviour. The main points of this argument have been:…”