Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!dali.cs.montana.edu!ogicse!brianh
From: brianh@ogicse.ogi.edu (Brian Hansen)
Newsgroups: comp.specification
Subject: Re: formal system specification surveys
Keywords: formal specification language, survey, taxonomy
Message-ID: <15122@ogicse.ogi.edu>
Date: 18 Dec 90 03:31:37 GMT
References: <1990Dec17.190909.10829@news.nd.edu>
Organization: Oregon Graduate Institute (formerly OGC), Beaverton, OR
Lines: 21

In article <1990Dec17.190909.10829@news.nd.edu> rohrs@handel.helios.nd.edu (533) writes:
>I am in the early stages of a literature survey on the topic of formal 
>specification of (software) systems. I'm looking for any suggestions, leads
>or pointers to survey papers or taxonomies published in the area.
>
>I'm also interested in any tutorials, texts, papers, etc. on particular 
>specification "languages" including, but not limited to: SDL, Z, PSL/PSA,
>SADT, RSL, Anna, IORL, Gypsy, OBJ, and Estelle.

I had the opportunity to use the Higher Order Software, Inc, AXES
specification language and, though the company is by now defunct,
it (AXES) should probably be considered in your taxonomy.  There are
some offshoots I believe to be commercially available from Hamilton
Technology, Inc. of Cambridge Mass.  I found it too be a very
interesting language/system, but somewhat more time-consuming
than normally reasonable.  Systems were claimed to be "provably
correct", but in one of those apposite twists of fate was written
up under a headline of "probably correct system..."

-Brian Hansen
 Oregon Graduate Institute