On the criteria to be used in decomposing systems into modules
Communications of the ACM
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This paper presents a tutorial overview of special, a formal specification and assertion language created by SRI International as part of their hierarchical design methodology. The language is based on a formal model of system behavior and is supported by language processors that assist in the interactive development of specifications. special is a strongly typed language that models data and programs as abstract resources known as objects. Collections of modules known as abstract machines are the major building blocks of a software specification in special. The technical foundations of special and the components of a special specification are described. A sample specification is detailed in an appendix.