Are formal methods a good thing for programming language standards? Setting an agenda for the future

The article questions the role of formal methods in the standardization of programming languages by examining the VDM-SL definition used in the Modula-2 standard, particularly in terms of the demands of the formal notation, the time taken to meet them and the size of the resultant document. Possible inadequacies of the formal notations used and in their applications are reviewed: the lack of generic specification and the occurrence of 'noise' is discussed. An agenda of work to be undertaken to facilitate the rapid production of formally defined language standards is proposed. A life-cycle for formally defined language standards is outlined which includes their testing. The need for the rapid production of standards is emphasized.<>