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Combining Model Learning and Model Checking to Analyze Java Libraries

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Structured Object-Oriented Formal Language and Method (SOFL+MSVL 2019)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNTCS,volume 12028))

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Abstract

In the current technological era, the correct functionality and quality of software systems are of prime concern and require practical approaches to improve their reliability. Besides classical testing, formal verification techniques can be employed to enhance the reliability of software systems. In this connection, we propose an approach that combines the strengths of two effective techniques, i.e., Model learning and Model checking for the formal analysis of Java libraries. To evaluate the performance of the proposed approach, we consider the implementation of “Java.util” package as a case study. First, we apply model learning to infer behavior models of Java package and then use model checking to verify that the obtained models satisfy basic properties (safety, functional, and liveness) specified in LTL/CTL languages. Our results of the formal analysis reveal that the learned models of Java package satisfy all the selected properties specified in temporal logic. Moreover, the proposed approach is generic and very promising to analyze any software library/package considered as a black-box.

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under Grant No. 61872016 and by the National Key Research and Development Program of China under Grant No. 2016YFB1000804.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/util/Collection.html.

  2. 2.

    https://learnlib.de/.

  3. 3.

    https://learnlib.de/projects/automatalib/.

  4. 4.

    https://www.graphviz.org.

  5. 5.

    http://nusmv.fbk.eu/.

  6. 6.

    https://github.com/bazali/SATE2019.

  7. 7.

    https://github.com/bazali/SATE2019/tree/master/APPENDICES

  8. 8.

    https://github.com/bazali/SATE2019/tree/master/SMVModels.

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Acknowledgment

We are thankful to Mr. Markus Frohme from TU Dortmund University for constructive discussion on LearnLib and AutomataLib libraries. We are also grateful to Mr. Paul Fiterau-Brostean for assisting in converting the learned model (.dot format) to NuSMV format (.smv).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Computer Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China

    Shahbaz Ali, Hailong Sun & Yongwang Zhao

  2. Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, Beihang University, Beijing, China

    Shahbaz Ali, Hailong Sun & Yongwang Zhao

Authors
  1. Shahbaz Ali
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  2. Hailong Sun
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  3. Yongwang Zhao
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yongwang Zhao .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Computer Engineering and Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China

    Huaikou Miao

  2. Institute of Computing Theory and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, China

    Cong Tian

  3. Hosei University, Tokyo, Japan

    Shaoying Liu

  4. Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China

    Zhenhua Duan

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Ali, S., Sun, H., Zhao, Y. (2020). Combining Model Learning and Model Checking to Analyze Java Libraries. In: Miao, H., Tian, C., Liu, S., Duan, Z. (eds) Structured Object-Oriented Formal Language and Method. SOFL+MSVL 2019. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12028. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41418-4_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41418-4_18

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-41418-4

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