Formalizing software development methods

A formal description of a software development method is a first step toward a rigorous implementation of tools, computer-assisted development methods, and, to some extent, toward automation of those methods. It should also be useful for an objective comparison or study of the power, nature, and limitations of methods. What can and what cannot be realistically formalized and automated in existing software development methods is rarely analyzed. The authors deal with the feasibility of such formalizations and with possible directions for automation. They sketch a framework for expressing the more formalizable aspects of methods.<>