| A general theory of specification was developed as an alternative approach to the study of specification. This theory consisted of a theoretical model, a metalanguage for describing specifications, and an operational model for analyzing and simulating metalanguage descriptions. Rather than creating a new specification technique, this research focused on theorizing about specifications independent of the particular technique used to generate the specification. Based on previous work in the field and commonalities found among existing techniques, a theoretical model was proposed which could be used to represent any specification. The properties of the model were given in twelve axioms. These axioms addressed the essential components of a specification: participants, services, prompts, responses, parameters, datastores, states, events, and sequences. Specifications modelled according to these axioms were shown to be consistent. This consistency was demonstrated by the construction of an extended coupling recipe for the system being modelled. The metalanguage was developed as a mechanism for representing specifications in terms of the theoretical model. Metalanguage descriptions were analyzed by the operational model to determine the extent to which the axioms held for the described specification. The operational model was also capable of simulating the highest levels of the described behavior, producing a revised description of the specification, constructing an extended coupling recipe graph, and summarizing the axioms checks and simulation. An evaluation of this research was also conducted to assess the validity of the theory and point the way for future growth of this approach. The results of this research have indicated that a theoretical approach to specification can yield information for improving individual specifications, as well as knowledge helpful for more effectively specifying software requirements. |
