Toward Zero-Defect Programming - Tapa blanda

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This book describes current methods for writing (nearly) bug-free programs. These methods are based on practices developed at IBM and elsewhere under the name Cleanroom Software Engineering. In a concise presentation, the author shows how to apply these methods in three key areas of software development: specification, verification, and testing. Requiring formal specifications forces students to program more simply and more clearly, eliminating many defects as a consequence. Performing semiformal verification as part of a team process uncovers additional defects. Testing the program, to compensate for human fallibility in the preceding steps, catches (nearly) all remaining bugs. The author departs somewhat from IBM Cleanroom methods to simplify the formalism that students must learn, and to make specification and verification readily accessible to anyone who can write well-structured programs. Although the book's examples are written in several programming languages, the largest number is in C.

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Read a paper by the author describing a course taught using this book.

Toward Zero-Defect Programming describes current methods for writing (nearly) bug-free programs. These methods are based on practices developed at IBM and elsewhere under the name Cleanroom Software Engineering. The successful application of these methods in commercial projects over the past fifteen years has produced defect rates that are, at least, an order of magnitude lower than industry averages. Remarkably, this reduction in defects comes at no net cost; on the contrary, it is often accompanied by increased productivity and shorter overall development time!

In a concise and well-illustrated presentation, Stavely shows how these methods can be applied in three key areas of software development:

1. specification
2. verification
3. testing.

Requiring formal specifications, and requiring that the code be proved mathematically to agree with the specifications, forces software engineers to program more simply and more clearly, eliminating many defects as a consequence. Performing verification as part of a team process uncovers additional defects and encourages careful examination of the program for efficiency and other quality aspects. Testing the program, to compensate for human fallibility in the preceding steps, catches (nearly) all remaining bugs.

• Explains Cleanroom methods for developing high-quality software.
• Encourages a team process for program verification.
• Illustrates the importance of incremental development.

The author departs somewhat from IBM Cleanroom methods in simplifying the procedures that readers must learn. His aim is to make specification and verification readily accessible to any student or practitioner who can write well-structured programs. No great mathematical sophistication is assumed. Although the book’s examples are written in a number of programming languages to explain different points, the largest number are in C; therefore, a prior knowledge of C is useful.