A Pragmatic View of Formal Methods: the Hi-Lite Project

Formal methods can be applied in a variety of different modes. Even if the notion of proving an entire program correct is of limited applicability, we can still achieve more modest goals, such as proving specific properties of programs, and in fact there are existing examples where such approaches have been successful. The inability of formal methods to carry 100% of the burden means that the overall development process must rely on a combination of tools and techniques spanning the range from formal proof to testing. We thus need tools, languages, and development environments that allow easy integration of these various approaches. The Hi-Lite project aims to meet this need.

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