Practically formal methods

Abstract

The use of formal methods in software engineering need not imply that one is committed to formal specification, derivation, and verification of all programs. Formal methods encompass a spectrum of tools and techniques; some may be more appropriate than others in a given application. In order to bring formal specifications and reuse into the mainstream of software development, we have incorporated an introduction to formal specification and design for reuse in our sophomore-level data structures course. The specification, representation and implementation of abstract data structures present the ideal opportunity to introduce students to these techniques. We present our approach to the informal, practical use of specifications as a guide to implementation, increasing both the quality of documentation and confidence in the correctness of implementation of data structures.