Modelling and Testing Requirements via Executable Abstract State Machines
Jonathan S. Ostroff, Chen-Wei Wang · 2018
We describe a method and tools for deriving specification models from requirements, and for validating that the final software product satisfies the requirements. ETF (Eiffel Testing Framework) is a tool for generating code from an abstract grammar specification of user interface actions derived from the requirements document. Mathmodels extends the classical Eiffel contracting notation with the use of mathematical models (based on sets, sequences, relations, functions, bags). The Mathmodels library has immutable queries (for specifications) as well as relatively efficient mutable commands (for describing executable abstract state machines). Models are developed and validated using the industrial strength Eiffel IDE, and the use of these tools thus scale up to the development of large systems in a way that supports the derivation of specification models from requirements, and seamlessness between models and code.