Abstract
Many operations on schemes are purely systematic processes; for example, decoration, expansion, evaluation of “∆” and “E” schemas, and the calculation of schema composition, hiding, and precondition, up to the application of the so-called “one-point” rule. Each of these activities may therefore be fully automated. The ITRU (Information Technology Research Unit) at BP Research is engaged in research into formal software development methods and, in collaboration with its research consultant Jean-Raymond Abrial, has developed B: a formal method built on the B tool. Here we describe an application of the B tool which provides a theorem proving environment for the analysis of Z specifications, incorporating the full automation of many schema operations.
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
Abrial, J-R., B Reference Manual
BP Research, B User Manual
BP Research, docB User Manual,to appear
BP Research, zedB User Manual,to appear
Hayes, I.J. (ed.), Specification Case Studies, Prentice-Hall International, 1987.
Houston, I.S.C. and Wordsworth, J.B., A Z Specification of Part of the CICS File Control API, Technical Report TR12. 272, IBM UK Laboratories, Hursley Park, 1990.
McDermid, J.A. (ed.), The Theory and Practice of Refinement: Approaches to the Formal development of Large-Scale Software Systems, Butterworths, 1989.
Neilson, D.S., From Z to C: Illustration of a Rigorous Development Method, D.Phil. Thesis, Programming Research Group, Oxford University, 1989.
Prasad, D.K., An Experiment in Proof: Proving Properties of Z Specifications in CICS using B, M.Sc. Thesis, Programming Research Group, Oxford University, 1990.
Spivey, J.M., The Z Notation - A Reference Manual, Prentice-Hall International, 1989.
Woodcock, J.C.P., Calculating Properties of Z Specifications, ACM S. E. Notes 14 (5): 43-54, 1989.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1991 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Neilson, D. (1991). Machine support for Z: the zedB tool. In: Nicholls, J.E. (eds) Z User Workshop, Oxford 1990. Workshops in Computing. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3540-1_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3540-1_8
Publisher Name: Springer, London
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-19672-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-3540-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive