Semantic web as future reality- Part 4
Semantic web as future reality
In reply to:
Formal specifications of software can be useful. However my problem with things like Z notation vs. for instance extensive use of units tests and a natural language specification is that Z notation and similar languages aren’t the native language of anyone - with a random group of software developers from all over the world, I’d be much more likely to find a reasonable number of people with sufficient English skills than people with reasonable Z notation skills.In fact, through my career I’ve met perhaps 3-4 people that might have had sufficient skills in Z to be able to create proper specifications with it.
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Yeah, I agree. Formal Specification are just a tool and as with other tools, we need to learn how to use it. What was interesting with the link I mentioned above is that none of the developers knew what was formal specifications and none (except one if I remember right) ever do any Z specifications.
So, it’s sure that well done unit tests are inevitable at the moment. It’s probably the best tool we have, for anybody, at the moment. It’s sure that the technologies of formal specifications need development (specifically the Semi-Demonstration system).
