Abstract
In recent years several authors concerned with the methodology of program development have claimed that the use of formalized modes of expression in certain particular manners offers considerable benefits to the program development activity. The claims are related to a few key notions, most conspicuously formal specifications of programs and abstract data types. The present study is an analysis of some of the arguments given in support of these claims. It will be found that several of these arguments are invalid, and it will be maintained that the emphasis on formalization in program development may in fact have harmful effects on the results of the activity.
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
Aho, A. V., Hopcroft, J. E., and Ullman, J. D.: 1974, The Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass.
Backus, J. W.: 1959, ‘The Syntax and Semantics of the Proposed International Algebraic Language of the Zürich ACM-GAMM Conference, Proc. International Conf. on Information Processing’, UNESCO, pp. 125–132.
Backus, J. W., Bauer, F. L., Green, J., Katz, C., McCarthy, J., Naur, P. (Ed.), Perlis, A. J., Rutishauser, H., Samelson, K., Vauquois, B., Wegstein, J. H., van Wijngaarden, A., and Woodger, M.: 1963, ‘Revised Report on the Algorithm Language ALGOL 60’, Comm. ACM 6(1), 1–17;
Backus, J. W., Bauer, F. L., Green, J., Katz, C., McCarthy, J., Naur, P. (Ed.), Perlis, A. J., Rutishauser, H., Samelson, K., Vauquois, B., Wegstein, J. H., van Wijngaarden, A., and Woodger, M.: 1963, ‘Revised Report on the Algorithm Language ALGOL 60’, Computer Journal 5, 349–367;
Backus, J. W., Bauer, F. L., Green, J., Katz, C., McCarthy, J., Naur, P. (Ed.), Perlis, A. J., Rutishauser, H., Samelson, K., Vauquois, B., Wegstein, J. H., van Wijngaarden, A., and Woodger, M.: 1963, ‘Revised Report on the Algorithm Language ALGOL 60’, Num. Math. 2, 106–136.
de Morgan, R. M., Hill, I. D., and Wichman, B. A.: 1976, ‘Modified Report on the Algorithmic Language ALGOL 60’, Computer Journal 19, 364–379.
Gauss, C. F.: 1876, Theoremais arithmetici — demonstratio nova, Commentationes Societatis Regiae Scientiarum Gottingensis, Vol. 16, Gottingen, 1808; Werke, 1876, Bd. 2, pp. 1–8
Gauss, C. F.: 1876, English translation in D. E. Smith, A Source Book in Mathematics, Vol. 1, Dover, New York, 1959, pp. 112–118.
Goguen, J.: 1980, ‘Thoughts on Specification, Design and Verification’, ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes 5(3), 29–33.
Henhapl, W., and Jones, C. B.: 1978, ‘A Formal Definition of ALGOL 60 as Described in the 1975 Modified Report’, in D. Bjørner and C. B. Jones (Eds.), The Vienna Development Method: The Meta-Language, Springer, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 61. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, pp. 305–336.
Jones, C. B.: 1978, ‘The Meta-Language: A Reference Manual’, in D. Bjørner and C. B. Jones (Eds.), The Vienna Development Method: The Meta-Language, Springer, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 61, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, pp. 218–277.
Jones, C. B.: 1980, Software Development: A Rigorous Approach, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Liskov, B.: 1980, ‘Modular Program Construction Using Abstractions’, in D. Bjørner (Ed.), Abstract Software Specifications, Springer, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 86, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, pp. 354–389.
Liskov, B., and Zilles, S.: 1977, ‘An Introduction to Formal Specifications of Data Abstractions’, in R. T. Yeh (Ed.), Current Trends in Programming Methodology, Vol. 1, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, pp. 1–32.
Naur, P.: 1974, Concise Survey of Computer Methods, Studentlitteratuur, Lund, Sweden.
Naur, P.: 1977, ‘Control-Record-Driven Processing’, in R. T. Yeh (Ed.), Current Trends in Programming Methodology, Vol. 1, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, pp. 220–232.
Russell, B.: 1953, Mysticism and Logic, Penguin, Harmondsworth, England.
Russell, B.: 1922, ‘Introduction’, in Wittgenstein, L.: Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London.
Zemanek, H.: 1980, ‘Abstract Architecture’, in D. Bjørner (Ed.), Abstract Software Specifications, Springer, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 86, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, pp. 1–42.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Naur, P. (1993). Formalization in Program Development. In: Colburn, T.R., Fetzer, J.H., Rankin, T.L. (eds) Program Verification. Studies in Cognitive Systems, vol 14. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1793-7_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1793-7_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4789-0
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-1793-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive