In joint work with Cristiano Calcagno, Peter O’Hearn, and Hongseok Yang, we have introduced bi-abductive inference and its use in reasoning about heap manipulating programs [5]. This extended abstract briefly surveys the key concepts and describes our experience in the application of bi-abduction to real-world applications and systems programs of over one million lines of code.

This paper presents an experience report on the migration of a COBOL system of over 2 million lines of code. The main goal of this project was to migrate a legacy CODASYL database towards a relational platform, while preserving the functionalities of the legacy application programs.

We develop a Web-based banking application with cashier and automated teller machine functionality using the B formal method. The complete development, including the frontend, is specified and refined to an executable application in Atelier B. Refinement between specifications and their implementations is proved mechanically. At 2’324 lines of code and 1’397 proof obligations the B Bank is not ...

The following paper argues for the value of critically analyzing game code, demonstrating two potential methodologies. These draw from literary theory and software studies to reach hermeneutic readings of procedures. We use Jason Rohrer’s Passage as a case study to demonstrate these methods. Passage is one of the most frequently studied, discussed and taught works in game studies. However, many...

In this paper we apply a measurement procedure proposed by van Heeringen and van Gorp to approximate the COSMIC size of mobile applications. We compare this procedure with the one introduced by D’Avanzo et al. We also replicate an empirical study recently carried out to assess whether the COSMIC functional size of mobile applications can be used to estimate the size of the final applications in...

We improve “learning to search” approaches to structured prediction in two ways. First, we show that the search space can be defined by an arbitrary imperative program, reducing the number of lines of code required to develop new structured prediction tasks by orders of magnitude. Second, we make structured prediction orders of magnitude faster through various algorithmic improvements.

Formal design and validation methods have achieved most of their successes on problems of a relatively modest size, involving no more than one or two designers and no more than a few hundred lines of code. The serious application of formal methods to larger software development projects remains a formidable challenge. In this paper we report on some initial experience with the application of a ...

Functional metrics (especially IFPUG Function Point and Mark II Function Point) are gaining dominance over "technological" type metrics (Lines of Code). Although this takes place quite rapidly from the "cultural" standpoint, on a practical level the process is much slower due to the large quantity of code measurements already present in any company, and given the scepticism with which functiona...

We are developing a control program for a unique radiation therapy machine. The program is safety-critical, executes several concurrent tasks, and must meet real-time deadlines. Development employs both formal and traditional methods: we produce an informal speciication in prose (supplemented by tables, diagrams and a few formulas) and a formal description in Z. The Z description includes an ab...

The introduction of affect or emotion modeling into software opens up new possibilities for improving user experience. Yet, current techniques for building affective applications are limited, with the treatment of affect in essence handcrafted in each application. The multiagent middleware Koko attempts to reduce the burden of incorporating affect modeling into applications. However, Koko can b...