A framework for translating models and specifications

Abstract

The reasons for translating a description of a model in one notation into another are reviewed. This includes both translating entire models and describing different aspects of a system using different notations. In order to demonstrate the ideas, the VeriTech framework for translation is described. A system being analyzed is seen as a collection of versions, along with a description of how the versions are related. The versions are given in different notations connected through a core notation by compilers from and to the notations of existing tools and specification methods. The reasons that translations cannot always be exact are analyzed, based on experience with over ten separate compiler translations among formal methods notations. Additional information gathered during translation is described, to facilitate optimizations, error tracing, and analysis. The concept is presented of a faithful relation among models and families of properties true of those models. In this framework families of properties are provided with uniform syntactic transformations, in addition to the translations of the models. This framework is shown appropriate for common instances of relations among translations previously treated in an ad hoc way. The classes of properties that can be faithful for a given translation provide a measure of the usefulness of the translation. Open research directions are suggested concerning faithful transformations, additional information, error tracing, and optimizing translations.