Recent Trends in Data Type Specification

The Fifth Workshop on Specification of Abstract Data Types took place 1-4 September 1987 in Gullane, near Edinburgh. Another trend is toward taking a more general view which allows superficially different approaches having the same general aims and methods to be unified. The Fifth Workshop on Specification of Abstract Data Types took place 1-4 September 1987 in Gullane, near Edinburgh. This book contains papers based on selected talks presented at the workshop. The algebraic specification of abstract data types has been a flourishing topic in computer science since 1974. The main goal of work in this area is to evolve a methodology to support the design and formal development of reliable software. The particular approach taken builds upon concepts from universal algebra and elementary category theory. The core of this work has now stabilized to a great extent and is mature enough to find application in real-life software engineering and to related topics such as concurrency, databases, and even hardware design. Such applications are becoming more feasible because of the emergence of integrated specification/development environments which include tools such as theorem provers based on fast term rewriting engines. Researchers are also exploring ways of widening the scope of the theory to make it applicable to (for example) higher-order functions and non-deterministic programs. Another trend is toward taking a more general view which allows superficially different approaches having the same general aims and methods to be unified.

This book contains a strictly refereed selection of revised full papers chosen from the papers accepted for presentation during the 11th Workshop on Abstract Data Types held jointly with the 8th COMPASS Workshop in Oslo, Norway, in September 1995. The 25 research papers included were chosen from 57 pre-selected workshop presentations; This book contains a strictly refereed selection of revised full papers chosen from the papers accepted for presentation during the 11th Workshop on Abstract Data Types held jointly with the 8th COMPASS Workshop in Oslo, Norway, in September 1995. The 25 research papers included were chosen from 57 pre-selected workshop presentations; also included are six invited contributions. The volume reports the progress achieved in the area of algebraic specification since the predecessor meeting held in May 1994.