A Case for Structured Analysis/Formal Design

Both formal methods and structured methods in software development have disadvantages inherent to the class of methods they belong to. A better method may be composed by taking the best of a formal method and the best of a structured method and constructing one, new method. In this paper two approaches to transforming data flow diagrams, the main system representation resulting from SA, to constructs in VDM are described. Each approach can be used as a basis for a combined SA/VDM method. A comparison is made between the two presented models by analyzing their characteristics. Some conclusions on the usability of the combination of SA and VDM are presented.

[1]  Glenford J Myers,et al.  Reliable software through composite design , 1975 .

[2]  Edward Yourdon,et al.  Techniques of Program Structure and Design , 1976 .

[3]  Kuldeep Kumar,et al.  Informal and Formal Requirements Specification Languages: Bridging the Gap , 1991, IEEE Trans. Software Eng..

[4]  G. P. Randell.  Translating Data Flow Diagrams into Z (and Vice Versa) , 1990 .

[5]  Richard A. Kemmerer,et al.  Integrating formal methods into the development process , 1990, IEEE Software.

[6]  Nancy G. Leveson,et al.  Software safety in embedded computer systems , 1991, CACM.

[7]  Tom DeMarco,et al.  Structured Analysis and System Specification , 1978 .

[8]  Bruno Alabiso,et al.  Transformation of Data Flow Analysis Models to Object-Oriented Design , 1988, OOPSLA.

[9]  Hans-Jürgen Kugler,et al.  Using VDM in an Object-Oriented Development Method for Ada Software , 1987, VDM Europe.

[10]  Mike Adler,et al.  An Algebra for Data Flow Diagram Process Decomposition , 1988, IEEE Trans. Software Eng..

[11]  Paul Ward,et al.  Structured Development for Real-Time Systems , 1986 .

[12]  Hans Toetenel,et al.  Structured analysis—formal design, using stream and object oriented formal specifications , 1990 .

[13]  Chris Gane,et al.  Structured Systems Analysis: Tools and Techniques , 1977 .

[14]  Anthony Hall,et al.  Seven myths of formal methods , 1990, IEEE Software.

[15]  Cliff B. Jones,et al.  Systematic software development using VDM (2. ed.) , 1990, Prentice Hall International Series in Computer Science.