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Reviewing Formal Specification for Validation Using Animation and Trace Links

Formal specification has proved to be an effective technique for precisely defining software functionality, but validating it against the user's requirements still remains a challenge. In this paper, we propose a novel and practical review approach that utilizes specification animation and trace links to support the reviewing of formal specifications for their validation. The scenario-based animation method dynamically presents the specification to the reviewer by means of "executing" it in a step-by-step manner. It is adopted as a reading technique to guide the reviewer to read the specification and provides him with clear review targets. The trace links that connect the specification to the user's original requirements supply the reviewer with necessary information for determining whether defects are found. We first explain the scenario-based animation and trace links respectively and then propose a group of criteria for validating the formal specification. A case study is described to illustrate the review process at the end of the paper.