Understanding Z A Specification Language and its Formal Semantics [Paperback]

This book provides a standard framework for understanding Z specifications.The Z notation is a language for expressing mathematical specifications of computing systems. By providing a formal semantics for Z, this book justifies the claim that Z is a precise specification language, and provides a standard framework for understanding Z specifications.The Z notation is a language for expressing mathematical specifications of computing systems. By providing a formal semantics for Z, this book justifies the claim that Z is a precise specification language, and provides a standard framework for understanding Z specifications.By providing a formal semantics for Z, this book justifies the claim that Z is a precise specification language, and provides a standard framework for understanding Z specifications. It makes a detailed theoretical comparison between schemas, the Z construct for breaking specifications into modules, and the analogous facilities in other languages such as CLEAR and ASL. The final chapter contains a number of studies in Z style, showing that Z can be used for a wide variety of specification tasks.Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Basic concepts; 3. The semantics of Z; 4. Discussion; 5. Studies in Z style; References; Summary of notation; Index of definitions. The book is very well written and accurate, and the graphics are good. Computing Reviews The reader finds a well written book on a special rather technical topic...As such it is valuable for those who seek to understand the language Z in more detail... Zentralblatt fur Mathematik