Editing Formal methods (section)

==Semi-formal methods==
Semi-formal methods are formalisms and languages that are not considered fully "formal". It defers the task of completing the semantics to a later stage, which is then done either by human interpretation or by interpretation through software like code or test case [[Generator (computer programming)|generators]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=X2R-2, deliverable D5.1}}</ref>

Some practitioners believe that the formal methods community has overemphasized full formalization of a specification or design.<ref>[[Daniel Jackson (computer scientist)|Daniel Jackson]] and [[Jeannette Wing]], [http://people.csail.mit.edu/dnj/publications/ieee96-roundtable.html "Lightweight Formal Methods"], ''IEEE Computer'', April 1996</ref><ref>Vinu George and Rayford Vaughn, [http://www.stsc.hill.af.mil/crosstalk/2003/01/George.html "Application of Lightweight Formal Methods in Requirement Engineering"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060301022259/http://www.stsc.hill.af.mil/crosstalk/2003/01/George.html |date=2006-03-01 }}, ''Crosstalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering'', January 2003</ref> They contend that the [[Expressive power (computer science)|expressiveness]] of the languages involved, as well as the complexity of the systems being modelled, make full formalization a difficult and expensive task. As an alternative, various ''lightweight'' formal methods, which emphasize partial specification and focused application, have been proposed. Examples of this lightweight approach to formal methods include the [[Alloy language|Alloy]] object modelling notation,<ref>Daniel Jackson, [http://people.csail.mit.edu/dnj/publications/alloy-journal.pdf "Alloy: A Lightweight Object Modelling Notation"], ''ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology (TOSEM)'', Volume 11, Issue 2 (April 2002), pp. 256-290</ref> Denney's synthesis of some aspects of the [[Z notation]] with [[use case]] driven development,<ref>Richard Denney, ''Succeeding with Use Cases: Working Smart to Deliver Quality'', Addison-Wesley Professional Publishing, 2005, {{ISBN|0-321-31643-6}}.</ref> and the CSK [[Vienna Development Method|VDM]] Tools.<ref>Sten Agerholm and Peter G. Larsen, [http://home0.inet.tele.dk/pgl/fmtrends98.pdf "A Lightweight Approach to Formal Methods"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060309041943/http://home0.inet.tele.dk/pgl/fmtrends98.pdf |date=2006-03-09 }}, In ''Proceedings of the International Workshop on Current Trends in Applied Formal Methods'', Boppard, Germany, Springer-Verlag, October 1998</ref>