This paper introduces a framework to formalize module-level structural metrics that quantify inter-module dependencies in object-oriented software systems. We used a formal framework based on the Big Bang Graph (BBG) modelling and the formal Z specification language to formalize a modularization-based software metric as an example to demonstrate how the framework works. We have developed the De...

This paper explores the use of templates and generics in translating from class diagrams to formal descriptions. It presents an approach for the translation of UML class diagrams into Z, which builds on previous work, correcting problems found in those approaches. This allows a plug-and-play approach to different formalisations of UML semantics. As well as providing rigorous translation, we cla...

The use of formal methods early in the development process has been advocated as a way of improving the quality of software products and their production process. Here we study the influence of a formal requirements document on the next phase in the software process, that is design. We suggest that formal design should logically follow from formal requirements. We show that two different formal...

Functionalities and control behavior are both primary requirements in design of a complex system. Automata theory plays an important role in modeling behavior of a system. Z is an ideal notation which is used for describing state space of a system and then defining operations over it. Consequently, an integration of automata and Z will be an effective tool for increasing modeling power for a co...