DALIA : a language for the description and analysis of digital systems
H Weij, van der · TU/e Research Portal · 1991
DALIA is a formal language for the description and analysis of digital systems at a behavioural as well as a structural level of abstraction. It is based on a functional style of programming, extended with annotations for indicating system structure, accessability, and signal :flow direction. Program transformation rules are defined for rewriting DALIA descriptions to behaviourally equivalent alternatives. Since the same language is used for behavioural and structural descriptions, a smooth conversion between them can be made. The language is developed to be used as a formal basis for automated system design, adopting the following philosophy: First the (informal) requirements for the system to be designed are formalised in the DALIA notation. Next, the formal specification is stepwise transformed to a structural description of the system realisation (typically register transfer or gate level). The latter phase deals with formal descriptions and transformations, allowing a correctness by construction methodology.