Alloy (specification language)
In computer science and software engineering, Alloy is a declarative specification language for expressing complex structural constraints and behavior in a software system. Alloy provides a simple structural modeling tool based on first-order logic. The mathematical underpinnings of the language were heavily influenced by the Z notation, although the syntax of Alloy owes more to languages such as Object Constraint Language.[1] Alloy is targeted at the creation of micro-models that can then be automatically checked for correctness. Alloy specifications can be checked using the Alloy Analyzer.
The first version of the Alloy language appeared in 1997. It was a rather limited object modeling language. Succeeding iterations of the language "added quantifiers, higher arity relations, polymorphism, subtyping, and signatures".[2] Although Alloy is designed with automatic analysis in mind, Alloy differs from many specification languages designed for model-checking in that it permits the definition of infinite models. The Alloy Analyzer is designed to perform finite scope checks even on infinite models.
Model structure
Alloy models are relational in nature, and are composed of several different kinds of statements:[1]
- Signatures define the vocabulary of a model by creating new sets
sig Object{}defines a signature Objectsig List{ head : lone Node }defines a signature List that contains a field head of type Node and multiplicity lone - this establishes the existence of a relation between Lists and Nodes such that every List is associated with no more than one head Node
- Facts are constraints that are assumed to always hold
- Predicates are parameterized constraints, and can be used to represent operations
- Functions are expressions that return results
- Assertions are assumptions about the model that can be checked using the Alloy Analyzer
Because Alloy is a declarative language the meaning of a model is unaffected by the order of statements.
References
- 1 2 Jackson, Daniel (2006). Software Abstractions: Logic, Language, and Analysis. MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-10114-1.
- ↑ "Alloy FAQ". Archived from the original on 7 June 2007. Retrieved 2013-03-07.