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How to make algebraic specifications more understandable?

An experiment with the PLUSS specification language

  • Part I Algebraic Specification
  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Algebraic Methods: Theory, Tools and Applications (Algebraic Methods 1987)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 394))

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Abstract

This paper relates an experiment in writing an algebraic specification of a rather complex example, namely a subset of the UNIX file system. The PLUSS specification language, which is used for this experiment, provides a set of linguistic features which allow the modularization of such specifications and the definition of a flexible and convenient syntax for expressions and axioms (such as mixfix operators, overloading, coercions, ...). This experiment was a way for evaluating the adequacy of these features to several criteria: mainly legibility and understandability, but also reusability of specifications. The paper presents the specification and discusses it with respect to these important points.

Preliminary Version

A revised version of this paper will appear elsewhere.

This work is partially supported by ESPRIT project No. 432 METEOR and CNRS GRECO de Programmation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. LRI, Bat. 490, Universite de Paris-Sud, 91405, Orsay Cedex, France

    M. Bidoit & M.-C. Gaudel

  2. Laboratoires de Marcoussis, CR-CGE, Route de Nozay, 91460, Marcoussis, France

    M. Bidoit & A. Mauboussin

Authors
  1. M. Bidoit
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  2. M.-C. Gaudel
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  3. A. Mauboussin
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Editor information

Martin Wirsing Jan A. Bergstra

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© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Bidoit, M., Gaudel, MC., Mauboussin, A. (1989). How to make algebraic specifications more understandable?. In: Wirsing, M., Bergstra, J.A. (eds) Algebraic Methods: Theory, Tools and Applications. Algebraic Methods 1987. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 394. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0015035

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0015035

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-51698-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-46758-8

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