Rewriting Logic Semantics: From Language Specifications to Formal Analysis Tools

Formal semantic definitions of concurrent languages, when specified in a well-suited semantic framework and supported by generic and efficient formal tools, can be the basis of powerful software analysis tools. Such tools can be obtained for free from the semantic definitions; in our experience in just the few weeks required to define a language's semantics even for large languages like Java. By combining, yet distinguishing, both equations and rules, rewriting logic semantic definitions unify both the semantic equations of equational semantics (in their higher-order denotational version or their first-order algebraic counterpart) and the semantic rules of SOS. Several limitations of both SOS and equational semantics are thus overcome within this unified framework. By using a high-performance implementation of rewriting logic such as Maude, a language's formal specification can be automatically transformed into an efficient interpreter. Furthermore, by using Maude's brea...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2004
• Where: CADE
• Authors: José Meseguer, Grigore Rosu
• Keywords: Automated Reasoning, CADE 2004, Formal Semantic Definitions, Logic Semantic Definitions, Well-suited Semantic Framework