An Informal Approach to Formal (Algebraic) Specifications

Formal techniques exist for the crucial specification phase in the design of systems, including database applications. We briefly indicate the potential benefits of the so-called abstract data type discipline and show how it might be made more palatable to the non-mathematician. This is done through the mechanism of traces. This tool is used both as a mechanism for modelling (in an executable manner) the application and as a basis for a methodology which can be used in the development of a formal algebraic specification.