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An Environment for Formal Systems Development

Objective

The GENESIS project set out to create a meta-system which would generate syntax-directed editors, transformation and proof tools from descriptions of the syntax and semantics of the formalisms used in software development. Metalanguages for the description of projection layouts, proof rules and tactics were to be defined.
The project set out to create a metasystem which would generate syntax directed editors, transformation and proof tools from descriptions of the syntax and semantics of the formalisms used in software development. Metalanguages for the description of projection layouts, proof rules and tactics were defined. The base system consists of the projection language KENSHO and the typed logic programming language JADE. Several kinds of proof in different logicial systems were tried out.
The GENESIS project has now been completed. The base system consists of the projection language KENSHO and the typed logic programming language JADE. Imperial Software Technology built support tools for VDM and Z, and several kinds of proof in different logical systems were tried out. Philips provided editors for the COLD-K and ERAE languages, as well as implementing a constructive logic machine. Imperial College implemented the omega-p logic environment for prototyping and experimenting with logic systems.
Exploitation
GENESIS has already been used as the platform for two formal methods support tools which are sold as products by IST. The VDM tool grew as a commercial development of the tool implemented under the GENESIS project case-study. The Z tool development was financed by a client of IST wishing to have Z tools for its own use. The client subsequently licensed IST to sell the tool commercially. IST has so far sold these tools to nine commercial and four academic organisations. IST intends to continue selling these tools and to seek commercial collaborations with other organisations to develop other tools (eg for CCS, CSP and LOTOS) using the GENESIS platform.
The GENESIS system is available at commercial rates to other organisations wishing to build tools and has been offered to other ESPRIT projects and to academic organisations on favourable terms.
IST has entered into a tool development contract with one client that offers considerable potential for further refinements to, and enhancements of, the GENESIS system itself. This arrangement, and others similar to it, will provide a self-financing routefor the continuing development of GENESIS within IST.
Philips currently releases all their project results together with necessary user documentation to all interested parties. Apart from software development departments within Philips, the results have been licensed to NOKIA research (for the ATMOSPHERE project, number 2565) and the University of Amsterdam.
Interest is mainly on applications, although the generator system has been evaluated within Philips Kommunikations Industrie for contribution to RACE project 1202 (SPECS).
Work on the constructive logic machine and associated publications continues. Proof construction in type theory is currently of great interest.

Topic(s)

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Call for proposal

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Funding Scheme

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Coordinator

Imperial Software Technology Ltd
EU contribution
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Address
28 High Street Great Shelford
CB2 5HA Cambridge
United Kingdom

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Participants (2)