Slicing Z specifications

Abstract

Program slicing is a well-known technique that has been broadly applied to a variety of software engineering areas, such as understanding, debugging, testing and others. Although slicing programs written in a high-level language have been widely studied in literatures, very little work is involved in slicing formal specifications. In this paper we put forward a method of specification slicing. First, we analyze dependences in Z and introduce a new kind of dependence, i.e. logic dependence. Second, schema dependence graphs and specification dependence graphs are developed. On the basis of both graphs, a method of slicing specifications is given. Finally, a small but realistic example is illustrated.