Design by Contract: A Simple Technique for Improving the Quality of Software

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Abstract:

At its heart, Design by Contract DbC is a technique for expressing the relationship between a software routine the supplier and the callers of that routine the clients. DbC is inspired by commercial relationships and business contracts that formally express the rights and obligations binding a client and a supplier. DbC provides a clean, easy-to-implement technique that specifies the roles and constraints applying to a routine, and ultimately, will improve the quality of any software with minimal additional cost. In this paper we will define what DbC is, how it can benefit any software, and show several examples of software developed at ARL MSRC that use DbC.

Author(s):
Bolstad, Mark
Author Organization(s):
ARMY RESEARCH LAB ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND MD
Descriptive Note:
Conference paper
Supplementary Note:
Presented at the DoD High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) Users Group Conference (UGC), held in Williamsburg, Virginia on 7-11 June 2004. The original document contains color images. All DTIC reproductions will be in black and white. This article is from ADA492363 Proceedings of the HPCMP Users Group Conference 2004.
Pagination:
0005

Security Markings

DOCUMENT & CONTEXTUAL SUMMARY

Distribution:
Approved For Public Release
Distribution Statement:
Approved For Public Release; Distribution Is Unlimited.

RECORD

Collection: TR
Identifying Numbers
Monitor Series:
ARL/APG
 Subject Terms
Joint Capability Areas:
JCA_1_Force Support
Modernization Areas:
Quantum Science and Computing
Communities of Interest:
No COI(s) Identified
Descriptor(s):
*QUALITY, *DESIGN CRITERIA, *SOFTWARE TOOLS, COSTS, EXECUTIVE ROUTINES, COMMERCIAL EQUIPMENT, CONTRACTS, SYMPOSIA, COMPUTER PROGRAMS
Field(s)/Group(s):
Computer Programming and Software
Keyword(s):
*DBC(DESIGN BY CONTRACT), COMPONENT REPORTS
Report Date:
2004 Jun 01
Creation Date:
2009 Jan 28