Accession Number:

ADA289234

Title:

Unification of Larch and Z-Based Object Models to Support Algebraically-Based Design Refinement; The Z Perspective.

Descriptive Note:

Master's thesis,

Corporate Author:

AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Personal Author(s):

• Wabiszewski, Kathleen M.

Report Date:

1994-12-01

Pagination or Media Count:

215.0

Abstract:

This research established a foundation for formalizing the evolution of based object models to theories, part of a dual approach for formally extending object-oriented analysis models using the Z and LARCH languages. For the initial phase, a comprehensive, consistent, and correct Z language parser was implemented within the SOFTWARE REFINERYTM Programming Environment. The Z parser produced abstract syntax trees ASTs of objects, thereby forming the basis for analyzing the similarities and differences between the based and LARCH-based object representations. The second phase used the analysis of the two languages to identify fundamental core constructs that consisted of similar syntactic and semantic notions of signatures and axioms for describing a problem domain, thereby forming a canonical framework for formal object representations. This canonical framework provides a front-end for producing design refinement artifacts such as synthesis diagrams, theorem proving sentences and interface languages. The final phase of the process demonstrated the feasibility of interface language generation by establishing an executable framework that mapped Z into the SOFTWARE REFINERYTM Environment to rapidly prototype object-oriented Z specifications.

Descriptors:

• *SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
• *SPECIFICATIONS
• COMPUTER PROGRAMS
• MODELS
• SYNTHESIS
• INTERFACES
• PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
• MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
• THESES
• PROTOTYPES
• ABSTRACTS
• TREES
• WORDS(LANGUAGE)
• ARTIFACTS
• SYNTAX
• DIAGRAMS
• PARSERS

Subject Categories:

• Computer Programming and Software

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE