Method Verification in Java: Concepts and Examples

1. Method Verification Paul Ammann

2. Verification vs Validation • Verification vs. Validation • Verification • A given implementation is correct with respect to another description • Validation • A given description is desirable • We will focus on Verification in this lecture • Good news! All Verification Obligations follow the same basic model!

3. Verification of Method Contracts in Data Abstractions • First basic problem • Contract is in JavaDoc • Code is in Java • How are the states related? • Solution: • Abstraction Function maps • Representation States to • Abstract States

4. Key to verifying methods in isolation • Common (flawed) informal approach to analyzing a given method: • See how other methods behave • Worry about method interactions • Interactions are reflected in representation state. • This doesn’t scale! • Instead, we want to analyze each method by itself • We need a general description of important properties relevant to all methods • Exactly what the Rep Invariant does

5. Method Verification: Part 1The Representation Invariant • Does the method establish/maintain the rep-invariant? • Base case for constructors • Plus any other methods that create objects • Clone? Serialization? • Inductive case for mutators

6. Method Verification Part 2:The Contract • Given The Rep Invariant as an Assumption • Given Preconditions as Assumptions • Does the Postcondition Hold? • Need to Map States Through Abstraction Function

7. Verification In Diagram Form Abstract State (Before) Abstract State (After) Method Contract ? AF() AF() Representation State (After) Representation State (Before) Method Code

8. Verification Example • Diagram shown for method verification • Will revisit same diagram for overridden methods • Example to develop in class: public class Members { // Members is a mutable record of organization membership // AF: ?? // rep-inv: ?? List<Person> members; // the representation // Post: person becomes a member public void join (Person person) { members.add (person);} // Post: person is no longer a member public void leave(Person person) { members.remove(person);} } • Exactly what is incorrect? • Verification tools: • Contract, Abstraction function, Representation Invariant • Validation question: What about null values in members?

9. Verification Example - Analysis rep-inv: members != null rep-inv: members != null && no duplicates in members join() Maintain rep-inv? No Satisfy contract? Not a meaningful question leave() Maintain rep-inv? Yes Satisfy contract? Yes • join() • Maintain rep-inv? • Yes • Satisfy contract? • Yes • leave() • Maintain rep-inv? • Yes • Satisfy contract? • No

10. Verification Example – Repair 1 rep-inv: members != null Analysis join() Maintain rep-inv? Yes – already analyzed Satisfy contract? Yes – already analyzed leave() Maintain rep-inv? Yes Satisfy contract? Yes • join() • As is • leave() while (members.contains(person)) { members.remove(person); }

11. Verification Example – Repair 2 rep-inv: members != null && no duplicates in members Analysis join() Maintain rep-inv? Yes Satisfy contract? Yes leave() Maintain rep-inv? Yes – Already analyzed Satisfy contract? Yes – Already analyzed • join() if (!members.contains(person)) { members.add(person); { • leave() • As is

12. Another Verification Example public class Poly { // Polys are immutable polynomials c0 + c1x + c2x^2 + … // AF: ci = trms[i] for appropriate values of i // rep-inv: deg = trms.length-1 // trms.length >= 1 // trms != null // if deg > 0 then trms[deg] != 0 int[] trms; int deg; // the representation // Post: Return degree of this, ie largest exponent with // coefficient != 0. Returns 0 if this is zero Poly public int degree() { return deg; } // Other methods omitted } • How do we decide if degree() is correct? • How must code change if rep-inv changes?