INFERENCE RULES FOR PROGRAM ANNOTATION.

Nachum Dershowitz*, Zoher Manna

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

Methods are presented whereby an Algol-like program, given together with its specifications, can be documented automatically. The program is incrementally annotated with invariant relationships that hold between program variables at intermediate points in the program and explain the actual workings of the program regardless of whether the program is correct. Thus this documentation can be used for proving the correctness of the program or may serve as an aid in the debugging of an incorrect program. The annotation techniques are formulated as Hoare-like inference rules which derive invariants from the assignment statements, from the control structure of the program, or, heuristically, from suggested invariants. The application of these rules is demonstrated by an example, one of a number that have run on an experimental implementation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages158-167
Number of pages10
StatePublished - 1978
EventInt Conf on Software Eng, Proc, 3rd - Atlanta, Ga
Duration: 10 May 197812 May 1978

Conference

ConferenceInt Conf on Software Eng, Proc, 3rd
CityAtlanta, Ga
Period10/05/7812/05/78

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