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Refinable Record Structures in Formal Methods

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Advances in Model and Data Engineering in the Digitalization Era (MEDI 2021)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 1481))

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Abstract

State-based formal specifications benefit from data structuring mechanisms, which collate associated properties and efficiently declare complex types. For example, ‘record’ data structures, similar to those used in programming languages, can be built into the concrete syntax of a language as an enhancement over flat data relationships. While this is relatively simple to achieve for a single-level specification, it becomes significantly more involved when the specification language allows for progressive refinement of the data supporting the specification. Individual fields may be added to create sub-records within a refinement and replaced to create refined records during a refinement step. The impact on the ability to verify invariant and refinement proof obligations must be considered. Here we describe a record structuring syntax that includes notions of extension and inheritance that can be used in a refinement-based formal method. We illustrate the approach using extensions to the Event-B formal method.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the following projects: - HiClass project (113213), which is part of the ATI Programme, a joint Government and industry investment to maintain and grow the UK’s competitive position in civil aerospace design and manufacture. - HD-Sec project, which was funded by the Digital Security by Design (DSbD) Programme delivered by UKRI to support the DSbD ecosystem.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ECS, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK

    Asieh Salehi Fathabadi, Colin Snook, Thai Son Hoang, Dana Dghaym & Michael Butler

Authors
  1. Asieh Salehi Fathabadi
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  2. Colin Snook
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  3. Thai Son Hoang
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  4. Dana Dghaym
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  5. Michael Butler
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Asieh Salehi Fathabadi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. ISAE-ENSMA, Chasseneuil, France

    Ladjel Bellatreche

  2. Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

    George Chernishev

  3. University of Almería, Almería, Spain

    Antonio Corral

  4. LINEACT CESI, Aix-en-Provence, France

    Samir Ouchani

  5. Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia

    Jüri Vain

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Fathabadi, A.S., Snook, C., Hoang, T.S., Dghaym, D., Butler, M. (2021). Refinable Record Structures in Formal Methods. In: Bellatreche, L., Chernishev, G., Corral, A., Ouchani, S., Vain, J. (eds) Advances in Model and Data Engineering in the Digitalization Era. MEDI 2021. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1481. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87657-9_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-87657-9_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-87656-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-87657-9

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