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      Specifications are necessarily informal or: some more myths of formal methods

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      Author
      Le Charlier, B.
      Flener, P.
      Date
      1998
      Source Title
      Journal of Systems and Software
      Print ISSN
      0164-1212
      Electronic ISSN
      1873-1228
      Publisher
      Elsevier
      Volume
      40
      Issue
      3
      Pages
      275 - 296
      Language
      English
      Type
      Article
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      Abstract
      We reconsider the concept of specification in order to bring new insights into the debate of formal versus non-formal methods in computer science. In our view, the correctness of a useful program corresponds to an objective fact, which must have a simple, precise, and understandable formulation. As a consequence, a specification can (and must) only make precise the link existing between the program (formality) and its purpose (informality). Moreover, program correctness can be argued only by means of non-formal reasonings, which should be as explicit as possible. This allows us to explain why specifications cannot be written in a strictly formal language. Our view of specifications does not imply a rejection of all ideas put forward in the literature on formal methods. On the contrary, we agree with the proponents of formal methods on most of their arguments, except on those following from the assumption that specifications could (or should) be formal. Finally, we examine why the role and nature of specifications are so often misunderstood. © 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.
      Keywords
      Computer Hardware Description Languages
      Computer Science
      Computer Software
      Formal Languages
      Non Formal Methods
      Formal Logic
      Permalink
      http://hdl.handle.net/11693/11055
      Published Version (Please cite this version)
      http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0164-1212(98)00172-1
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      • Department of Computer Engineering 1368
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