The Way of Z: Practical Programming with Formal Methods [Paperback]

Jonathan Jacky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 28, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0521559766 | ISBN-13: 978-0521559768

This self-contained tutorial on Z presents realistic case studies emphasizing safety-critical systems, with examples drawn from embedded controls, real-time and concurrent programming, computer graphics, games, text processing, databases, artificial intelligence, and object-oriented programming. It motivates the use of formal methods and discusses practical issues concerning how to apply them in real projects. It also teaches how to apply formal program derivation and verification to implement Z specifications in real programming languages with examples in C. The book includes exercises with solutions, reference materials, and a guide to further reading.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'... this reviewer cannot imagine a book better suited to inspiring the sceptical hacker into believing that there is some genuine value in formal methods.' R. H. Banach, Axis

'... most books about Z emphasise the mathematics, ... The Way of Z breaks out of this mould to make Z relevant and accessible to all programmers. It is an ideal first or second-year book for students of computing science who want to design and write reliable programs.' Harold Thimbleby, New Scientist

'... especially good for more advanced students ... this book will be inspirational and provide practical guidance to real software engineers.' Computer Journal

Book Description

This self-contained tutorial on Z, a formal notation for modeling, specifying and designing computer systems and software, presents realistic case studies emphasizing safety-critical systems. It includes exercises with solutions, reference materials and a guide to further reading.

Product Details

• Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (November 28, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521559766
• ISBN-13: 978-0521559768
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #330,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #48 in Books > Computers & Technology > Computer Science > Software Engineering > Methodology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outsandingly clear and comprehensive text., June 2, 1998

By 

Matt Robinson ([e-mail]) (Clemson University, SC.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Way of Z: Practical Programming with Formal Methods (Hardcover)

There are many good books on how to construct, verify, and establish actual program code using Z. I have read bits and pieces of many in an attempt to gain a general understanding of the whole development process and a breadth of approaches taken to it. I cannot say that I have come accross a book even approaching The Way of Z in both clarity and completeness. Dr. Jacky has left nothing out of this text and it reads extremely smoothly (without the sacrifice of complexity). I recommend it to any Formal Methods student, programmer and anyone interested in the formal specification, verification, and implementation process.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful!, July 11, 2000

By 

Megan Squire (Gibsonville, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Way of Z: Practical Programming with Formal Methods (Paperback)

The thing I found most helpful about this book is that the author presents Z in comparison to things that we are already (probably) familiar with: data flow diagrams, state charts, etc. He shows the difference between Z and these things, and walks you through a comparison of one system using all 4 different methods.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Introduction To Z., February 25, 2001

By 

Teko (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Way of Z: Practical Programming with Formal Methods (Hardcover)

This book is the first book I've read on Z or formal methods. It's very easy to read and understand, and replete with Z examples. I recommend it to anyone who's interested in learning Z.