Toward formal development of programs from algebraic specifications: Parameterisation revisited

Parameterisation is an important mechanism for structuring programs and specifications into modular units. The interplay between parameterisation (of programs and of specifications) and specification (of parameterised and of non-parameterised programs) is analysed, exposing important semantic and methodological differences between specifications of parameterised programs and parameterised specifications. The extension of parameterisation mechanisms to the higher-order case is considered, both for parameterised programs and parameterised specifications, and the methodological consequences of such an extension are explored.