Modeling Object-Oriented Framework with Z

Object-oriented framework is increasingly recognized as an efficient reuse mechanism in software development, but for its intrinsic abstract and complex, it is still difficult to develop for framework designer and instantiate for framework user, this is partly due to the lack of formal framework modeling language guiding the framework developer, user and tool builder. We propose a formal way to model framework in Z so that framework can be modeled in a precise, modular and compositional manner. This approach also supports framework extension and composition. Design patterns are closely related to framework. We unify the modeling of design pattern, framework and their relationship so that design patterns can be referenced by framework smoothly.