Bolognesi, T. and Derrick, J. (1998) Constraint-oriented style for object-oriented formal specification. IEE Proceedings Software, 145 (2-3). pp. 61-69. ISSN 1462-5970.
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Abstract
We propose a specification style which combines the features and advantages of object-oriented and constraint-oriented system decomposition. A system description is decomposed into data-handling objects, which usually reflect objects and individual operations in the real system, and temporal-ordering constraints, which capture aspects of functionality as behavioural sequences, with a possibility to introduce also entities which blurr the distinction between these two extreme cases. Composition is achieved via synchronisation on shared operations: different objects/constraints insisting on an operation express different views on the enabling conditions and effects of that operation. Objects, constraints, and their composition can be formally specified in Object-Z, an object-oriented extension of the Z notation, with pure temporal ordering constraints equivalently expressed as transition graphs. However, expressing object/constraint compositions in Object-Z is cumbersome. We solve this problem by proposing a natural textual notation, called co-expression, which is a most direct description of an object/constraint interconnection graph, and we define a mapping from co-expressions to Object-Z. Thus, specifications in an object/constraint-oriented style can be conveniently written using transition graphs and interconnection diagrams mixed with Object-Z text, and then translated into this language.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled keywords: | Object-oriented, Formal specification, constraint-oriented style, Object-Z |
| Subjects: | Q Science > QA Mathematics (inc Computing science) > QA 76 Software, computer programming, |
| Divisions: | Faculties > Science Technology and Medical Studies > School of Computing > Theoretical Computing Group |
| Depositing User: | Mark Wheadon |
| Date Deposited: | 22 Aug 2009 00:22 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Jun 2012 14:00 |
| Resource URI: | http://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/21669 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes) |
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