White Papers

Please feel free to select and download any of the following White Papers.

Pigs from Sausages? - Reengineering from Assembler to C via FermaT Transformations (migration-t.pdf) M. Ward Science of Computer Programming (to appear) 2003

Abstract

Software reengineering has been described as being ``about as easy as reconstructing a pig from a sausage''. But the development of program transformation theory, as embodied in the FermaT transformation system, has made this miraculous feat into a practical possibility. This paper describes the theory behind the FermaT system and describes a recent migration project in which over 544,000 lines of assembler ``sausage'' (part of a large embedded system) were transformed into efficient and maintainable structured C code.

Program Slicing via FermaT Transformations (compsac2002-t.pdf) M. Ward COMPSAC 2002, 26th Annual International Computer Software and Applications Conference Oxford, England, 26th-29th August 2002 IEEE Computer Society

Abstract

In this paper we describe how the concept of program slicing can be formalised in WSL transformation theory. This formalism naturally lends itself to several generalisations including amorphous slicing and conditioned slicing. One novel generalisation is ``semantic slicing'' which combines slicing and abstraction to a specification. Interprocedural semantic slicing has been implemented in the FermaT transformation system: an industrial-strength transformation system designed for forward and reverse engineering, re-engineering and program comprehension.

The FermaT Assembler Re-engineering Workbench (icsm2001-t.pdf) M. Ward International Conference on Software Maintenance 2001, 6th-9th November 2001, Florence, Italy IEEE Computer Society

Abstract

Research into the working practices of software engineers has shown the need for integrated browsing and searching tools which include graphical visualisations linked back to the source code under investigation. In addition, for assembler maintenance and re-engineering there is an even greater need for sophisticated control flow analysis, data flow analysis, slicing and migration technology. All these technologies are provided by the FermaT Workbench: an industrial-strength assembler re-engineering workbench consisting of a number of integrated tools for program comprehension, migration and re-engineering. The various program analysis and migrations tools are based on research carried out over the last sixteen years at Durham University, De Montfort University and Software Migrations Ltd., and make extensive use of program transformation theory.

Reverse Engineering from Assembler to Formal Specifications via Program Transformations (wcre2000-t.pdf) M. Ward 7th Working Conference on Reverse Engineering, 23-25th November 2000, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia IEEE Computer Society

Abstract

The FermaT transformation system, based on research carried out over the last sixteen years at Durham University, De Montfort University and Software Migrations Ltd., is an industrial-strength formal transformation engine with many applications in program comprehension and language migration. This paper is a case study which uses automated plus manually-directed transformations and abstractions to convert an IBM 370 Assembler code program into a very high-level abstract specification.

Assembler to C Migration using the FermaT Transformation System (icsm99-t.pdf) M. Ward International Conference on Software Maintenance, 30th Aug--3rd Sept 1999, Oxford, England.

Abstract

The FermaT transformation system, based on research carried out over the last twelve years at Durham University and Software Migrations Ltd., is an industrial-strength formal transformation engine with many applications in program comprehension and language migration. This paper describes one application of the system: the migration of IBM 370 Assembler code to equivalent, maintainable C code. We present an example of using the tool to migrate a small, but complex, assembler module to C with no manual intervention required. We briefly discuss a mass migration exercise where 1,925 assembler modules were successfully migrated to C code.

Download a technical description of WSL and Transformation Theory

This is extract from the book "Successful Evolution of Software Systems" by Honji Yang and Martin Ward (see News)

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