The abstract state machines method for modular design and analysis of programming languages

We survey the use of Abstract State Machines in the area of programming languages, namely to define behavioural properties of programs at source, intermediate and machine levels in a way that is amenable to mathematical and experimental analysis by practitioners, like correctness and completeness of compilers, etc. We illustrate how theorems about such properties can be integrated into a modular development of programming languages and programs, using as example a Java/JVM compilation correctness theorem about defining, interpreting, compiling and executing Java/JVM code. We show how programming features (read: programming constructs) modularize not only the source programs, but also the program property statements and their proofs.