Practical Formal Software Engineering

Based around a theme of the construction of a game engine, this textbook is for final year undergraduate and graduate students, emphasising formal methods in writing robust code quickly. This book takes an unusual, engineering-inspired approach to illuminate the creation and verification of large software systems. Where other textbooks discuss business practices through generic project management techniques or detailed rigid logic systems, this book examines the interaction between code in a physical machine and the logic applied in creating the software. These elements create an informal and rigorous study of logic, algebra, and geometry through software. Assuming prior experience with C, C++, or Java programming languages, chapters introduce UML, OCL, and Z from scratch. Extensive worked examples motivate readers to learn the languages through the technical side of software science.

Takes readers through the creation of a complete software package based around a theme of the construction of a game engine
Teaches software engineering as engineering, rather than mathematics or business
Illustrates extensive worked examples with 1000 lines of code

Reviews & endorsements

"Bruce Mills has achieved a remarkable synthesis of formal and pragmatic ideas. This is one of those rare books on software that is readable from cover to cover. It will be a huge help to the next generation of software engineers in learning to think deeply about writing programs."
Ken Hawick, Chair of Computer Science, Massey University-Albany, Aukland, New Zealand

"The author takes a highly inclusive view of software: "software is precisely defined operations of precisely defined mechanisms". His book provides a unique and thought provoking presentation of the relationship of formal methods to software development."
Arthur C. Fleck, Professor Emeritus, Department of Computer Science,University of Iowa

"This book turns the theory of proofing the behavior of algorithms into a practical approach to writing robust, secure software. It shows how to produce beautiful code that does what is expected of it; and more importantly how to be sure that this is actually true in practice."
Frank C. Langbein, Lecturer, School of Computer Science, Cardiff University

"This book pulls off the ambitious task of applying the formal tools of logical software specification in a pragmatic manner to real world problems."
Alexander Hemsley, Cobalt Telephone Technologies, United Kingdom

"This work is a fascinating course resource. Mills successfully manages to create an appealing and informative book while respecting the rigor and method required by formal software engineering. The true winner in this book is the writing style, which coupled with the organization of the content, creates a compelling learning experience that a competent instructor can use to build an engaging course."
L. Benedicenti, University of Regina for Choice Magazine

"It brings formal methods down to earth, where they belong, but emphatically not in the “For Dummies” sense. I highly recommend it."
George Hacken, reviews.com

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