ColloquiaRobert Bruce Findler - Monday, March 25

[Margery Ishmael]

Monday, March 25, 2002
2:30 p.m.
Ryerson 251

"Behavioral Software Contracts"
Robert Bruce Findler, Rice University

Abstract:
A viable market of software components needs software contracts. These 
contracts must specify each party's obligations. To ensure that both sides 
meet their obligations, the market must also agree on standards for 
monitoring contracts and for assigning blame for contract violations.

Unfortunately, in the world of object-oriented components and runtime 
enforced behavioral contracts, these standards are woefully inadequate. In 
object-oriented languages (such as Eiffel) contract monitors are deeply 
flawed. They may assign blame for contract violations to innocent parties 
or may even ignore contract violations, resulting in incorrect final 
answers. Even worse, the world of modules and higher-order functions 
completely lacks behavioral contracts and contracts checkers.

My talk explains how object-oriented contract monitors are flawed and how 
to design a well-founded monitoring system. In addition, it explains how to 
dynamically check behavioral contracts in languages with higher-order
functions. Finally, I present a contract soundness theorem for both worlds. 
This theorem, which I developed in analogy to Milner's type soundness 
theorems, is a first step in bringing a theoretical underpinning to 
contract checking.   http://www.cs.rice.edu/~robby/

*Refreshments will be served after the talk in Ryerson 255*
Persons with a disability who may need assistance should call 834-8977 in 
advance.

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Margery Ishmael
Secretary to the Chairman, Department of Computer Science
The University of Chicago
1100 E. 58th Street, Chicago, IL. 60637-1581
tel. 773.834.8977  fax. 773.702.8487
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