SCR: a practical method for requirements specification

Abstract

A controversial issue in the formal methods research community is the degree to which mathematical sophistication and theorem proving skills should be needed to apply a formal method. A premise of this paper is that formal methods research has produced several techniques with potential utility in practical software development, but that mathematical sophistication and theorem proving skills should not be prerequisites for using these techniques. In the paper, several attributes needed to make a formal method useful in practice are described. These attributes include user-friendly notation, automated (i.e., push-button) analysis, and easy to understand feedback. To illustrate the attributes of a practical formal method, a formal method for requirements specification called SCR (Software Cost Reduction) is introduced.