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From: jdudeck@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (John R. Dudeck)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Software Industrial Revolution
Message-ID: <26911c09.60f1@petunia.CalPoly.EDU>
Date: 3 Jul 90 22:28:25 GMT
References: <8529@jpl-devvax.JPL.NASA.GOV> <5312@stpstn.UUCP> <5313@stpstn.UUCP>
Organization: Cal Poly State Univ,CSC Dept,San Luis Obispo,CA 93407
Lines: 36



In article <5313@stpstn.UUCP> cox@stpstn.UUCP (Brad Cox) writes:
>
>Stepstone has been actively
>pursuing formal/informal specification/testing technologies for several
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>of years as a solution to the intangibility problem, which we view not
>merely as a matter of technical or even commercial interest, but a
>matter of global/national significance in the Age of Information.
>
>I go into all this in greater detail in an article under review for
>IEEE Software magazine, November 1990, titled "Planning the Software
>Industrial Revolution; The Impact of OO Technologies". Send a mailing
>address if you'd like a draft copy.

Exactly what do you mean by formal in relationship to informal?
Are you saying that there are both formal and informal methods used in
your specification and testing activities?  Is there some guideline as
to what is to be done formally and what can be informal?

It seems to me that in any case where formal methods are used, there are
going to be many areas that are left to informal treatment.

My observation has been that methods and tools that allow the requirements
to be represented in a concise manner are essential.  This implies that
there is an accepted "language" that is powerful enough to allow a concise
representation of a design.  Some methods are more formal (read mathematical)
than others.  It seems to me that if we are to make the intangibles more
tangible, we need to make advances in finding ways to represent our designs
in an informal yet concise and precise manner.

-- 
John Dudeck                                 "I always ask them, How well do
jdudeck@Polyslo.CalPoly.Edu                            you want it tested?"
ESL: 62013975 Tel: 805-545-9549                               -- D. Stearns