CASL- The Common Algebraic Specification Language- Summary

This Summary is the basis for the Design Proposal [LD97b] for CASL, the Common Algebraic Specification Language, prepared by the Language Design Task Group of CoFI, the Common Framework Initiative. It gives the abstract syntax, and informally describes its intended semantics. It is accompanied by the Rationale for CoFI [CoF97], the Rationale for the Proposed Design of CASL [LD97c], a draft of the Formal Semantics of CASL [Sem97c], and proposals for Concrete Syntax, with Examples of how CASL specifications might look [KB97][VBC97][Mos97a]. Version 0.97 of the CASL Design Proposal was submitted for approval to the sponsoring IFIP Working Group on Foundations of System Specification, WG 1.3. It received tentative approval, together with a referees' report recommending the reconsideration of some elements of the design [IFI97]; a response has already been made [LD97a]. The present version of this Summary shows just which bits of CASL are currently subject to reconsideration or revision, in view of the referees' comments and the recommendations made by the CoFI Semantics Task Group [Sem97c]. Changes that were made since the previous version are highlighted in the same way as this sentence. Points where further discussion is required are highlighted like this sentence.