Software Abstractions: Logic, Language, and Analysis

Software Abstractions: Logic, Language, and Analysis

<p>In <i>Software Abstractions </i>Daniel Jackson introduces an approach to software design that draws on traditional formal methods but exploits automated tools to find flaws as early as possible. This approach -- which Jackson calls "lightweight formal methods" or "agile modeling" -- takes from formal specification the idea of a precise and expressive notation based on a tiny core of simple and robust concepts but replaces conventional analysis based on theorem proving with a fully automated analysis that gives designers immediate feedback. Jackson has developed Alloy, a language that captures the essence of software abstractions simply and succinctly, using a minimal toolkit of mathematical notions. This revised edition updates the text, examples, and appendixes to be fully compatible with Alloy 4. </p>