A Formal Framework for the Formalization of Informal Requirements

Abstract

Systems’ requirements are usually written in a natural language since it generally means a greater understanding among the various stakeholders. However, using an informal language potentially gives rise to interpretation problems, which are to be resolved prior to using (automated) verification techniques. This article tackles an important issue pertaining to requirement engineering: how to guide and help requirements’ formalization? In order to support the formalization process, we propose a methodology based on a formal structure, which is the corner stone of the refinement process. The operating mode of the refinement process is highly iterative: the aforementioned structure is constructed incrementally until its validity is formally obtained. Although this process is formally backed up, it is a fundamentally subjective one, which means that interpretation errors can still occur. In case of errors, it is essential to be able to backtrack refinements until an interpretation error is found. This is why we require that each refinement be associated with a justification which may subsequently be analyzed in case an error occurred during the verification phase. This formalization process was designed to be used alongside an (unspecific) engineering process, in charge of the implementation. Once the formalization is complete, it is checked against the implementation using testing techniques, or directly against an implementation model via model-checking

From formal specifications to efficient test scenarios generation

“…It is a black box testing technique which means that only the interaction between the SUT and its environment is known (through inputs and outputs). As an extension of the work discussed in [9] and [5], this paper shows how to automate the testing process from CTL* properties.…”

“…This paper is an extension of the work discussed in [9] and [5]. Based on formal specifications expressed as CTL* properties, in this article we develop a method for generating test cases from CTL* formulas.…”

Enterprise interoperability assessment: a requirements engineering approach

“…Relevant techniques for supporting the overall RE process have been also identified, such as the requirements elicitation (Loucopoulos and Karakostas, 1995), requirements formalisation (Eriksson et al, 2009), (Peres et al, 2012) and system requirements modelling (Panetto et al, 2004), (Amyot et al, 2010), (ISO/IEC 29148, 2011), (OMG, 2017a).…”

“…The formalisation can reduce requirements ambiguity and support the automation of the requirement analysis, when developing automated approach. Therefore, in this step, the formal framework for the formalization of informal requirements defined in (Peres et al, 2012) is adopted. One of the main advantages of this framework is that it provides an iterative process supported by a formal structure: The Pseudo-Requirement Graph, which consists in two types of nodes (refinements and pseudorequirements).…”

Assessing Interoperability Requirements in Networked Enterprises: A Model‐based System Engineering Approach

“…The formalisation is done to avoid misinterpretation and to serve as inputs for automated verification techniques. To do so, we apply the formalisation process proposed by Peres et al (2012). Formalising the requirements, we identify the same atomic requirements that are used by different formulas.…”