Refactoring object-z specifications

Object-Z offers an object-oriented means for structuring formal specifications. We investigate the application of refactoring rules to add and remove structure from such specifications to forge object-oriented designs. This allows us to tractably move from an abstract functional description of a system toward a lower-level design suitable for implementation on an object-oriented platform.

Using integrated metamodeling to define OO design patterns with object-z and UML

Three important goals in describing software design patterns are: generality, precision, and understandability. To address these goals, this paper presents an integrated approach to specifying patterns using Object-Z and UML. To achieve the generality goal, we adopt a role-based metamodeling approach to define patterns. With this approach, each pattern is defined as a pattern role model. To achieve precision, we formalize role concepts using Object-Z (a role metamodel) and use these concepts to define patterns (pattern role models). To achieve understandability, we represent the role metamodel and pattern role models visually using UML. Our pattern role models provide a precise basis for pattern-based model transformations or refactoring approaches.

Architectural design in object-z

We present a process for introducing an object-oriented architecture into an abstract functional specification written in Object-Z. Since the design is derived from the specification, correctness concerns are addressed as pan of the design process. We base our approach on refactoring rules that apply to class structure, and use the rules to implement design patterns. As a motivating example, we introduce a user-interface design that follows the model-view-controller paradigm into an existing specification.