Harmony: An Environment for the Combined Use of UML and Z++ in Software Specification

Graphical notations have traditionally played an important role in the process of software development, particularly during the analysis and design phases. However, in applications in which the reliability of the software is a primary concern a graphical notation such as UML needs to be complemented by a formal language in order to provide enhanced support for pragmatic and rigorous development of specifications. Although many authors have envisaged the advantages of combining informality (or semi-formality) with formality in software construction, there are few reports that address the issue in the context of object-orientation and project its solution over the canvas of time-constrained systems. In this paper we present an integrated environment, entitled Harmony, which supports the combined utilization of two notations, the visual UML and the formal Z++, and thus assists the rigorous object-oriented development of systems on which temporal constraints are placed.