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From: jacob@latcs1.oz.au (Jacob L. Cybulski)
Newsgroups: comp.specification
Subject: Re: Difference between Spec and Code?
Message-ID: <9169@latcs1.oz.au>
Date: 7 Nov 90 00:16:48 GMT
Organization: Comp Sci, La Trobe Uni, Australia
Lines: 29

Well, a number of people stressed the importance of WHAT-type of issues
in program specifications and HOWs of the programs themselves. I am sure
that this approach is quite valid for the traditional software process,
what I am not certain of if it is valid for all types of applications.

If it were correct to assume that a SPECIFICATION if a collection of
constraints to be met by a series of statements constituting our
PROGRAM then the questions of WHAT and HOW become quite irrelevant,
since the constraints and limitations imposed by our specs may apply
to both procedural and declarative aspects of our development process.

According to our definition, for certain classes of programming languages,
e.g. logic or constraint programming languages, SPECIFICATIONS then become
partially refined PROGRAMS, to further this statement, once the SPEC is
developed in sufficient detail, our development environment, as consisting of
the set of programming heuristics, may actually provide the missing details
automatically, thus resulting in executable specifications.

Jacob L. Cybulski

Amdahl Australian Intelligent Tools Program
Department of Computer Science
La Trobe University
Bundoora, Vic 3083, Australia

Phone: +613 479 1270
Fax:   +613 470 4915
Telex: AA 33143
EMail: jacob@latcs1.oz.au