Correct Systems

ISA 305 - Information System Engineering

Correct Systems

Johan Zammit

jzamm@cs.um.edu.mt

B.Sc. (Hons.) I.T - 3^rd year

December 1998

The aim of the following document is discuss the answers to 4 major questions related to correct systems...

What Is A Correct System ?
To What Extend Does Correctness Depend On The Application Domain ?
How Can We Build Correct System ?
How Do We Decide That A System Is Correct ?

Table Of Contents

What Is A Correct System?
Introduction

Definition Of "System"
Definition Of "Correct"
Correctness As A Software Quality

To What Extend Does Correctness Depend On The Application Domain ?
The Level Of Correctness Required & The Correctness Dilemma

Considering The Application Domain
Cost/Benefit Analysis Of Error Reduction

Statistics & Facts
‘Software Crisis’ Lead To ‘Software Engineering’

How Could We Build A Correct System ?
Software Development Process, Methodologies, Methods & Techniques

Software Development Models

The Waterfall Model
The Spiral Model
The Evolutionary Model
Basic Software Development Activities
Initialisation
Requirements Analysis & Specification
Design
Implementation
Integration and Test
Maintenance

Software Development Techniques

Prototyping
Cleanroom
Object-Oriented Technologies & Software Reuse

Other Methods & Tools

Formal Methods
CASE Tools

How Do We Establish That A System Is Correct ?
Software Validation & Verification

Dynamic Verification - Testing
Static Verification - Analysis

Informal Analysis Techniques
Formal Analysis Techniques
Wrapping
Debugging
Human-Resources Solutions

Conclusion
Conclusion

Appendix
Appendix

Correctness Projects
Correctness Products On The Market
Correctness Related Companies
Books & Papers & Sites

Abstracts
Abstracts Of Related Papers
Links
Links

Johan Zammit - December '98