Charaterising Object-Based Frameworks in First-Order Predicate Logic

In the component-based approach Catalysis, a framework is a reusable artefact that can be adapted and composed into larger systems. The signed contract between components specifies how the required properties of one component are satisfied by the provided properties of another. We examine this concept in the context of framework-based development. Although Catalysis advocates rigorous development, frameworks lack a comprehensive formal foundation. We consider a simplified view of frameworks and their transformation into first-order logic. Theorem proving may be used to check the consistency of framework specifications and we identify ways in which these specifications may be simplified beforehand to reduce the burden of proof.