Abstract
[Context and motivation] For an automatic consistency check on requirements the requirements have to be formalized first. However, logical formalisms are seldom accessible to stakeholders in the automotive context. Konrad and Cheng proposed a restricted English grammar that can be automatically translated to logics, but looks like natural language. [Question/problem] In this paper we investigate whether this grammar can be applied in the automotive domain, in the sense that it is expressive enough to specify automotive behavioral requirements. [Principal ideas/results] We did a case study over 289 informal behavioral requirements taken from the automotive context. We evaluated whether these requirements could be formulated in the grammar and whether the grammar has to be adapted to the automotive context. [Contribution] The case study strongly indicates that the grammar, extended with 3 further patterns, is suited to specify automotive behavioral requirements of BOSCH.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Konrad, S., Cheng, B.H.C.: Real-time specification patterns. In: ICSE 2005: Proc. 27th Int. Conf. Softw. Eng., pp. 372–381. ACM, New York (2005)
Emerson, E.A.: Temporal and modal logic. In: Handbook of Theoretical Computer Science, vol. B, pp. 995–1072. Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam (1990)
Ramakrishna, Y.S., Melliar-Smith, P.M., Moser, L.E., Dillon, L.K., Kutty, G.: Interval logics and their decision procedures. TCS 170(1-2), 1–46 (1996)
Alur, R.: Techniques for automatic verification of real-time systems. PhD thesis, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA (1992)
Moser, L.E., Ramakrishna, Y.S., Kutty, G., Melliar-Smith, P.M., Dillon, L.K.: A graphical environment for the design of concurrent real-time systems. ACM Trans. Softw. Eng. Methodol. 6(1), 31–79 (1997)
Davis, A.M.: Software requirements: objects, functions, and states. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River (1993)
Heumesser, N., Houdek, F.: Experiences in managing an automotive requirements engineering process. In: RE, pp. 322–327. IEEE Computer Society, Los Alamitos (2004)
Walia, G.S., Carver, J.C.: A systematic literature review to identify and classify software requirement errors. Inf. Softw. Technol. 51(7), 1087–1109 (2009)
Dahlstedt, A.G., Persson, A.: Requirements interdependencies - moulding the state of research into a research agenda. In: REFSQ, pp. 71–80 (2003)
Heimdahl, M.P.E., Leveson, N.G.: Completeness and consistency analysis of state-based requirements. In: IEEE Trans. on SW Engineering, pp. 3–14 (1995)
Heitmeyer, C.L., Jeffords, R.D., Labaw, B.G.: Automated consistency checking of requirements specifications. ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology 5(3), 231–261 (1996)
Yu, L., Su, S., Luo, S., Su, Y.: Completeness and consistency analysis on requirements of distributed event-driven systems. In: TASE, Washington, pp. 241–244 (2008)
ISO26262: Road vehicles - Functional safety, Part 8, Baseline 17 (2010)
Hall, A.: Realising the benefits of formal methods. Journal of Universal Computer Science (J. UCS) 13(5), 669–678 (2007)
Abrial, J.R.: Formal methods in industry: achievements, problems, future. In: ICSE, pp. 761–768. ACM, New York (2006)
Kuhn, T.: AceRules: Executing rules in controlled natural language. In: Marchiori, M., Pan, J.Z., de Sainte Marie, C. (eds.) RR 2007. LNCS, vol. 4524, pp. 299–308. Springer, Heidelberg (2007)
Han, B., Gates, D., Levin, L.: From language to time: A temporal expression anchorer. In: TIME, pp. 196–203 (June 2006)
Dwyer, M.B., Avrunin, G.S., Corbett, J.C.: Patterns in property specifications for finite-state verification. In: ICSE, pp. 411–420. ACM, New York (1999)
Konrad, S.: Model-driven Development and Analysis of High Assurance Systems. PhD thesis, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (October 2006)
Grunske, L.: Specification patterns for probabilistic quality properties. In: ICSE, pp. 31–40. ACM, New York (2008)
Cobleigh, R.L., Avrunin, G.S., Clarke, L.A.: User guidance for creating precise and accessible property specifications. In: FSE, pp. 208–218. ACM, New York (2006)
Pohl, K., Böckle, G., Linden, F.J.v.d.: Software Product Line Engineering: Foundations, Principles and Techniques. Springer, USA (2005)
Behrmann, G., David, A., Larsen, K.G.: A tutorial on uppaal, pp. 200–236 (2004)
Cimatti, A., Clarke, E., Giunchiglia, E., Giunchiglia, F., Pistore, M., Roveri, M., Sebastiani, R., Tacchella, A.: NuSMV 2: An OpenSource Tool for Symbolic Model Checking. In: Brinksma, E., Larsen, K.G. (eds.) CAV 2002. LNCS, vol. 2404, p. 359. Springer, Heidelberg (2002)
Neuendorf, K.A.: Content Analysis Guidebook. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks (2002)
Krippendorff, K.H.: Content Analysis: An Introduction to Its Methodology, 2nd edn. Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks (2003)
Wohlin, C., Runeson, P., Höst, M., Ohlsson, M.C., Regnell, B., Wesslén, A.: Experimentation in software engineering: an introduction. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Norwell (2000)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Post, A., Menzel, I., Podelski, A. (2011). Applying Restricted English Grammar on Automotive Requirements—Does it Work? A Case Study. In: Berry, D., Franch, X. (eds) Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality. REFSQ 2011. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 6606. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19858-8_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19858-8_17
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-19857-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-19858-8
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)