Abstract
This paper addresses two issues: how formal object modeling techniques facilitate the XML application development and how XML technology helps formal/graphical software design process. In particular, the paper presents a XML/XSL approach to the development of a web environment for Z family languages (Z/Object-Z/TCOZ). The projection techniques and tools from object-oriented Z (in XML) to UML (in XMI) are developed using XSL Transformations (XSLT). Furthermore, object-oriented Z is used to specify and design the essential functionalities of the web environment and the projection tools to UML. In a sense, the paper also demonstrates a formal object approach to modeling XML applications.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bowen, J.P. and D. Chippington (1998), “Z on theWeb using Java, ” In ZUM'98: The Z Formal Specification Notation, 11th International Conference of Z Users, J.P. Bowen, A. Fett, and M.G. Hinchey, Eds., Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 1493, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 66–80.
Ciancarini, P., C. Mascolo, and F. Vitali (1998), “Visualizing Z Notation in HTML Documents, ” In ZUM'98: The Z Formal Specification Notation, 11th International Conference of Z Users, J.P. Bowen, A. Fett, and M.G. Hinchey, Eds., Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 1493, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 81–95.
Clark, J. (1999), “XT Version 19991105, ” http://www.jclark.com/xml/xt.html
Dong, J.S. and B. Mahony (1998), “Active Objects in TCOZ, ” In The 2nd IEEE International Conference on Formal Engineering Methods (ICFEM'98), J. Staples, M. Hinchey, and S. Liu, Eds., IEEE Computer Society Press, pp. 16- 25.
Duke, R. and G. Rose (2000), Formal Object Oriented Specification Using Object-Z, Cornerstones of Computing, Macmillan.
Evans, A.S. and A.N. Clark (1998), “Foundations of the Unified Modeling Language, ” In BCS-FACS Northern Formal Methods Workshop, D.J. Duke and A.S. Evans, Eds., Electronic Workshops in Computing, Springer Verlag.
Futatsugi, K. and A. Nakagawa (1997), “An Overview of CAFE Specification Environment, ” In The IEEE International Conference on Formal Engineering Methods (ICFEM'97), M. Hinchey and S. Liu, Eds., IEEE Computer Society Press, Hiroshima, Japan, pp. 170–181.
Hayes, I., Ed. (1993), Specification Case Studies, International Series in Computer Science, 2nd ed., Prentice-Hall.
Kaiser, G., S. Dossick, W. Jiang, and J. Yang (1997), “An Architecture for WWW-based Hypercode Environments, ” In The 19th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE'97), R. Adrion, A. Fuggetta, and R. Taylor, Eds., IEEE Press, Boston, USA, pp. 3–13.
Kim, S.K. and D. Carrington (2000), “An Integrated Framework with UML and Object-Z for Developing a Precise Specification, ” In The 7th Asia-Pacific Software Engineering Conference (APSEC'00), IEEE Press, pp. 240- 248.
Liu, J., J.S. Dong, B. Mahony, and K. Shi (2000), “Linking UML with Integrated Formal Techniques, ” In Unified Modeling Language: Systems Analysis, Design, and Development Issues, K. Siau and T. Halpin, Eds., Idea Group Publishing, pp. 210- 223.
Liu, S., A.J. Offutt, C. Ho-Stuart, Y. Sun, and M. Ohba (1998), “SOFL:A Formal Engineering Methodology for Industrial Applications, ” IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 24, 1.
Mahony, B. and J.S. Dong (1999), “Sensors and Actuators in TCOZ, ” In FM'99: World Congress on Formal Methods, J. Wing, J. Woodcock, and J. Davies, Eds., Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 1709, Springer-Verlag, Toulouse, pp. 1166–1185.
Mahony, B. and J.S. Dong (2000), “Timed Communicating Object Z, ” IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 26, 2, 150–177.
Mahony, B.P. and J.S. Dong (1998), “Blending Object-Z and Timed CSP: An Introduction to TCOZ, ” In The 20th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE'98), K. Futatsugi, R. Kemmerer, and K. Torii, Eds., IEEE Press, Kyoto, Japan, pp. 95–104.
Nielsen, M., K. Havelund, R. Wagner, and C. George (1989), “The RAISE Language, Method and Tools, ” Formal Aspects of Computing 1, 85–114.
Rumbaugh, J., I. Jacobson, and G. Booch (1999), The Unified Modeling Languauge Reference Manual, Addison-Wesley.
Schneider, S. and J. Davies (1995), “A Brief History of Timed CSP, ” Theoretical Computer Science 138.
Smith, G. (1995), “A Fully Abstract Semantics of Classes for Object-Z, ” Formal Aspects of Computing 7, 3, 289–313.
Smith, G. (2000), The Object-Z Specification Language, Advances in Formal Methods, Kluwer Academic. (W3C), W.W.W.C. (1999), “XSL Transformations (XSLT) Version 1.0, ” http://www.w3.org/TR/xslt
(W3C), W.W.W.C. (2000a), “Extensible Markup Language (XML), ” http://www.w3.org/XML
(W3C), W.W.W.C. (2000b), “Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL), ” http://www.w3.org/Style/XSL
Wafula, E.N. and P.A. Swatman (1995), “FOOM: A Diagrammatic Illustration of Inter-Object Communication in Object-Z Specifications, ” In The 1995 Asia-Pacific Software Engineering Conference (APSEC'95), IEEE Computer Society Press.
Woodcock, J. and J. Davies (1996), Using Z: Specification, Refinement, and Proof, Prentice-Hall International.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sun, J., Dong, J.S., Liu, J. et al. A Formal Object Approach to the Design of ZML. Annals of Software Engineering 13, 329–356 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016513914276
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016513914276