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This paper discusses two related challenges faced by software engineering instructors. First, assuming that projects are necessary to produce successful computer science majors, what should be the role of projects and how best do we integrate theory and application? Second, what life cycle models and associated processes should students have the opportunity to experience, and where in the curriculum should a disciplined process first appear? We review several curriculum plans that have been employed to address these problems. We also offer recommendations based on our experiences both with undergraduate computer science majors and with high school students in project Tri-P-LETS, where beginning programming students are taught to develop games and software simulations following a process.

FunZ, an intermediate specification language, is part of a complete methodology designed to facilitate the derivation of purely functional programs from Z specifications. FunZ is actually an extension of Haskell, yet the language also retains a Z-like flavor in that it contains notational conventions similar to those of standard Z or several object oriented variants. By combining features from both Z and Haskell, FunZ provides a bridge between Z specifications and Haskell implementations. Although the intermediate language and associated methodology target Haskell, the approach itself is general and can also be applied to other purely functional languages. The paper highlights one facet of the methodology, namely the procedure to derive concrete predicates written in FunZ from their abstract Z counterparts. In addition, by means of an example, the paper gives an overview of the translation process from Z specifications to FunZ designs.

During the last few years, the field of software engineering has witnessed an increased interest in formal methods and software reuse. At the same time, functional programming languages, often espoused as rapid prototyping tools, have begun to enjoy more mainstream usage. Assuming that these trends continue, software developers will need improved methods to transform existing specifications into functional implementations. In this paper, we discuss the intermediate specification language FunZ, an integral part of a methodology to produce purely functional programs from Z specifications. To illustrate the concepts of FunZ, we specify the design of a simple software system using both the Z notation and that of FunZ. FunZ itself is best described as an extension of Haskell, yet the language also retains a Z-like flavour in that it contains notational conventions similar to those of standard Z and several object-oriented variants. In addition, software design with FunZ parallels the activity in Z except that each step has functional overtones to better accommodate a final implementation in a purely functional language.

Abstract Z is a widely used, model‐oriented specification language. Haskell is a programming language that was recently developed to serve as a standard for non‐strict, purely functional languages. Although functional languages have proved to be excellent prototyping tools, Haskell was designed as a general purpose language which could be used when building large software systems. This paper develops two designs for a computerized class roll. The development begins with a description of the requirements and initial specification. The next section delineates the designs and explains how each design targets a specific Haskell data structure: design one employs sequences to model lists, whereas design two uses a Z function to describe a Haskell array. The corresponding implementations follow, along with a critical analysis of each translation from Z notation to Haskell code. The paper demonstrates that Z design schemas map well to at least two Haskell data types, namely the list and the array. Furthermore, it includes insights into how software developers might translate similar Z designs to Haskell.

Z is a popular specification language which has also been used as a design tool, although much less frequently. Haskell is a programming language that was recently developed to serve as a standard for non-strict, purely functional languages. Although functional languages have proved to be excellent prototyping tools, Haskell was designed as a general purpose language which could be employed to build large applications. In this paper, we show that the formal language Z is an effective design tool when a software system is implemented in a functional language. We trace the development of a simple system from its beginning specification written in Z to its final implementation as a Haskell program. The case study is based on a specification, the class manager's assistant, found in the literature.>