ASF+ --- eine ASF-aehnliche Spezifikationssprache

TL;DR

ASF+ is an extended algebraic specification language that improves name hiding, parameter binding, and module management, enabling more precise and flexible formal specifications with semantic conditions and theorem prover tasks.

Contribution

It introduces advanced name hiding, improved parameter binding, and a namespace concept, enhancing ASF's capabilities for formal specifications.

Findings

Enhanced name hiding mechanisms in ASF+

Avoidance of erroneous structure merging

Support for semantic conditions and theorem prover tasks

Abstract

Maintaining the main aspects of the algebraic specification language ASF as presented in [Bergstra&al.89] we have extend ASF with the following concepts: While once exported names in ASF must stay visible up to the top the module hierarchy, ASF+ permits a more sophisticated hiding of signature names. The erroneous merging of distinct structures that occurs when importing different actualizations of the same parameterized module in ASF is avoided in ASF+ by a more adequate form of parameter binding. The new ``Namensraum''-concept of ASF+ permits the specifier on the one hand directly to identify the origin of hidden names and on the other to decide whether an imported module is only to be accessed or whether an important property of it is to be modified. In the first case he can access one single globally provided version; in the second he has to import a copy of the module. Finally ASF+ permits semantic conditions on parameters and the specification of tasks for a theorem prover.