Pointers and data abstractions in high level languages-II: Correctness proofs

  • Authors:
  • D. M. Berry

  • Affiliations:
  • Computer Science Department, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, U.S.A.

  • Venue:
  • Computer Languages
  • Year:
  • 1977

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Abstract

Recognizing the problems that the use of pointers pose to the construction of reliable software, this two-part paper proposes a scheme by which pointers may be used in a controlled manner to build data abstractions without being used as abstractions in their own right. Part I, published in Computer Languages2, 135-148, presents the language constructs facilitating the proposal. Part II, in this Issue, attempts to show, by use of a fairly complex example, that proving the correctness of an implementation of an abstraction built in this manner from pointers need not be more difficult than other implementation correctness proofs.