Modelling Systems: Practical Tools and Techniques in Software Development - Hardcover

Fitzgerald, John; Larsen, Peter Gorm

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521626056 ISBN 13: 9780521626057

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1998

Synopsis

Software is pervasive, error-prone, expensive to develop and, as an engineering medium, extraordinarily seductive. Some of the major challenges in software development lie not so much in the details of design but in gaining confidence that the software under development will actually meet its requirements. This book provides an insight into established techniques which help developers to overcome the complexity of software development by constructing models of software systems in early design stages. The analysis and testing of models allows feedback before an expensive commitment is made to detailed design and coding. Aimed at software developers in industry and university students on software engineering courses, the text provides a remarkable new introduction to modelling using a leading technology: ISO Standard VDM-SL. The text breaks new ground by combining training in modelling techniques with commercial-strength tool support on a PC Windows platform. Teaching is done by example with modelling techniques being introduced through a series of studies derived from industrial applications. At each stage the main components of the modelling technology are introduced as they are needed. The tool included with the book allows readers to check their understanding by developing their own models, validating them by syntax- and type-checking, execution and testing. The authors, who are leading authorities on the use of modelling techniques in software development, have based the book on successful material from industrial and university training courses given in North America, Europe and Asia.

About this title

Review

"This pleasant book is easy to read and convincing...a must for everyone who has to design a system and is dissatisfied with the empirical approach that led to the Year 2000 bug...an excellent introduction to a scientific approach to system design." Computing Reviews

Book Description

This book provides a remarkable new introduction to software modelling using VDM. Based on the new ISO Standard version of the VDM Specification Language, it breaks new ground by combining training with tool support suitable for a PC Windows platform. This allows the reader to develop software models, check their syntax- and type-correctness and to execute and test them.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0521626056
• ISBN 13: 9780521626057
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 288