Specification, verification and enforcement of interface contracts with data

“接口契约”是一个正式的定义，它定义了随着时间的推移，什么构成了与特定系统的有效交互。例如，运行Facebook等应用程序的web浏览器向Facebook服务器发送命令，并处理其响应以更新其显示。与现实世界中两个人之间的契约类似，接口契约清楚地定义了浏览器和服务器如何相互通信：可以发送哪些命令，期望得到哪些响应，甚至可以将哪些值放入各种命令中。任何一方不遵守合同都可能导致另一方陷入意想不到的状态。同样，未来火星探测器的航天器系统测试也需要执行数千个命令和响应。然后搜索这些事件序列，查找对暗示组件故障的“契约”的违反。

An "interface contract" is a formal definition of what constitutes a valid interaction with a particular system over time. For example, a web browser running an application such as Facebook sends commands to the Facebook server and processes its responses to update its display. Similar to a real-world contract between two people, the interface contract clearly defines how the browser and the server are expected to converse with each other: which commands can be sent, what responses are expected, and even what values can be put into the various commands. Not following the contract by either side can result in the other side being thrown into an unexpected state. Similarly, the testing of spacecraft systems for the future Martian rovers involves the execution of thousands of commands and responses. These sequences of events are then searched for violations of a "contract" that hints at component malfunction. Although not explicitly called as such, interface contracts are present in a wide variety of software systems. However, very little tools are available for developers and users to ensure contract compliance between communicating "peers". The proposed research program concentrates on the application of formal methods to software engineering. In particular, it aims to model, verify and enforce valid sequences of events generated by systems through the use of mathematical logic. Practical solutions to these problems present a potential of direct application in a wide range of domains. In term, a comprehensive analysis of trace validation and monitoring, taking into account sequential and data dependencies in interface contracts, could produce useful development, debugging and testing tools, and improve the safety and reliability of software systems.