Extended ML explained

Extended ML is a general-purpose, high-level, wide-spectrum programming language based on the languages ML and Standard ML, covering both program specification and implementation. It extends the syntax of ML to include axioms, which do not need to be executable but can rigorously specify the behavior of a program. With this addition, the language can be used for stepwise refinement, proceeding gradually from an initial formal specification to eventually yield an executable Standard ML program. Correctness of the final executable with respect to the original specification can then be established by proving the correctness of each of the refinement steps. Extended ML is used for research into and teaching of formal methods in program development and specification, and research into automatic program verification.

Extended ML is neither related to the programming language Extensible ML (other than being similarly derived from ML), nor to the specification language Extensible Markup Language (XML).

References

• Book: Sannella . D. . Don Sannella . Tarlecki . A. . 1986 . Extended ML: an institution-independent framework for formal program development . Proceedings of the Workshop on Category Theory and Computer Programming: ETAPS'98 . Lisbon, Portugal . Springer LNCS 240 . 173 . 2 . 364–389. Workshop in Guildford, England; 1985.
• Sannella . D. . Don Sannella . Tarlecki . A. . 1989 . Toward formal development of ML programs: foundations and methodology; ECS-LFCS-89-71 . Edinburgh, Scotland . Laboratory for Foundations of Computer Science, University of Edinburgh. Extended abstract in Proceedings of the Joint Conference on Theory and Practice of Software Development, Barcelona, Spain, Springer LNCS, pp. 352, 375–389 (1989).
• Book: Kahrs . S. . Sannella . D. . Don Sannella . Tarlecki . A. . 1994 . Interfaces and Extended ML . Proceedings of the ACM Workshop on Interface Definition Languages . SIGPLAN Notices . Portland, Oregon . 29 . 8 . 111–118.
• Kahrs . S. . Sannella . D. . Don Sannella . Tarlecki . A. . 28 February 1997 . The definition of extended ML: A gentle introduction . . 173 . 2 . 445–484. 10.1016/S0304-3975(96)00163-6 .
• Book: Kahrs . S. . Sannella . D. . Don Sannella . 1998 . Reflections on the design of a specification language . Proceedings of the International Colloquium on Fundamental Approaches to Software Engineering: ETAPS'98 . Lisbon, Portugal . Springer LNCS 1382 . 173 . 2 . 154–170.
• Sannella . D. . Don Sannella . Tarlecki . A. . 1999 . Algebraic methods for specification and formal development of programs . . 31 . 3es. 10 . 10.1145/333580.333589 .

External links

• , Don Sannella

Notes and References

1. Web site: Extended ML . . Scotland.