Object-oriented model-based specification languages

Abstract

Complex, soft-real-time system development is one of the challenges in the software industry, as it is difficult to understand, test and maintain such systems. However, the software development goal is to operate reliably despite this complexity. This can be achieved by applying formal methods, which use a language that has a strong mathematical foundation for describing the system. To be more specific, model-based specification languages are used to resolve ambiguities in user requirements or detect design errors early in the software life cycle. This paper compares object-oriented model-based formal languages such as Zed (Z), Vienna Development Method (VDM) and Object Constraint Language (OCL) based on various factors. Also, the issues surrounding the application of these formal methods to various software problems are discussed in this paper. The present research work enables software developers to select an appropriate language suiting their specific requirements.