Testing Formal Methods

Jeffrey M. Voas

Reliable Software Technologies
Suite 250, 21515 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, VA 20165 USA
Tel: (703) 404-9293
Fax: (703) 404-9295
Email: jmvoas@rstcorp.com

Abstract:

If formal methods are correctly applied in each stage of the development process, very high quality code should result. But except for niche application domains, the marketplace is content with buggier code that reaches the marketplace quickly and is not touched by formal methods. I propose a research initiative for how to best marry formal methods with traditional and non-traditional testing approaches, and I give an example of doing so for a COTS components that are wrapped.

Keywords: Components, formal methods, testing, life-cycle, integration

Workshop Goals: To propose that research projects are started that address how to best integrate formal methods and testing during the software engineering life-cycle.