CASL
The CoFI Algebraic Specification Language
Rationale

by The CoFI Task Group on Language Design

20 May 1997

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Abstract

CASL is a reasonably expressive language, for specifying (requirements, design, and architecture of) conventional software. It has been designed by CoFI, the Common Framework Initiative for algebraic specification and development.

This rationale for the design of CASL is submitted to IFIP WG 1.3 for approval, together with other documents that provide an abstract syntax and informal summary of CASL, concrete syntax examples, and a draft formal semantics.

Contents

  • 1 Background
  • 2 CASL
  • 3 Basic Specifications
  • 3.1 Partiality
  • 3.2 Subsorts and Overloading
  • 3.3 Formulae
  • 3.4 Variable Declarations
  • 3.5 Visibility and Scope
  • 3.6 Attributions
  • 3.7 Sort Generation Constraints
  • 3.8 Datatype Declarations
  • 4 Structured Specifications
  • 4.1 Translation and Hiding
  • 4.2 Union and Extension
  • 4.3 Initiality and Freeness
  • 4.4 Naming and Generics
  • 5 Architectural Specifications
  • 6 Libraries of Specifications
  • References
    • This document was converted from LaTeX2e sources to HTML using Hyperlatex 2.2.
    CoFI Document: CASL/Rationale --Version 0.97-- 20 May 1997.
    Comments to cofi-language@brics.dk