A formal model for system specification
van Km Kees Hee, Gjpm Geert-Jan Houben, Ljam Lou Somers, Marc Voorhoeve · TU/e Research Portal · 1988
In this paper we present a frameworlc for modeling and specifying systems. in particular information systems.The framework consists of a fonnal model for distributed systems and a language for specifying the components of the model.The language consists of an imperative part for specifying state components and their transitions and a functional part where functions and datatypes are given.It may be used to describe non-first-normal-fonn data structures and to specify recmsive queries.It also resembles (after adding some syntactic sugar) the conventional mathematical notations; it is related to the languages of the Z and VDM methods [BJ82,HA87aj.However, in Z and VDM specifications are descriptive, whereas ours are consbUctive.Therefore our specifications can be executed; this is a very attractive way for potential users (lacking background and training to read formal specifications) to validate a specification.In section 1 we give an overview to the framework and it<; usage.In section 2 we describe the model fonnally and in section 3 we introduce the language.Finally in section 4 we present an example of a distributed database system specified by our method.\ ..