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Techniques for Embedding Executable Specifications in Software Component Interfaces

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COTS-Based Software Systems (ICCBSS 2003)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 2580))

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Abstract

In this paper, we consider interface contracts as a possible mechanism for improving semantic integrity in component-based systems. A contract is essentially a formal speci.cation interleaved with code and allowing a component or object to unambiguously specify its behaviour. The existing techniques that we survey are predominantly designed for object-oriented systems; we therefore investigate the extent to which they can be scaled up to the level of components, and embedded in interface specifications rather than code. We conclude that interleaved specifications are viable and useful at the level of components, but that future work is required to develop languages that can express the constraints that are important at this level of granularity.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Queen’s University & IBM Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Ross McKegney

  2. Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

    Terry Shepard

Authors
  1. Ross McKegney
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  2. Terry Shepard
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Information Technology M50, National Research Council Canada, 1200 Montreal Road, K1A 0R6, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Hakan Erdogmus  & Tao Weng  & 

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McKegney, R., Shepard, T. (2003). Techniques for Embedding Executable Specifications in Software Component Interfaces. In: Erdogmus, H., Weng, T. (eds) COTS-Based Software Systems. ICCBSS 2003. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2580. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-36465-X_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-36465-X_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-00562-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-36465-8

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