Interfaces between languages for communicating systems

Abstract

A system design typically involves various languages, each one describing the system at a different level of abstraction. To achieve a trustworthy design, it is essential that the interfaces between these laguages are conceptually well understood and mathematically sound. Recent research in semantics attempts to clarify and structure the development of such interfaces.This paper considers three languages for communicating, reactive systems — a specification language SL, a programming languages PL and a machine language ML — and outlines two approaches developed in the ESPRIT Basic Research Action “ProCoS” on how to establish the language interfaces. The SL/PL interface is based on a common predicative semantics leading to a mixed term design calculus, and the PL/ML interface is based on an interpreter and algebraic reasoning leading to a prototype compiler written in PROLOG.KeywordsMachine LanguageMachine InstructionCorrectness CriterionMixed TermAlgebraic ReasoningThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.