Formal specification of a query expression generator using RSL

Abstract

We design a query generator to convert queries expressed in more user-friendly terms to terms (attributes) that change in line with the underlying database structures of an organisation. These latter terms are generated with the aid of a type structure defined over the database structures and perhaps may be optimised for efficient database access. Formal methods are used for the specification of the query generator which is not the usual practice in the specification of query generators. We use RSL, the RAISE Specification Language, to formally specify our generator. From the specification, an implementation of our generator is generated in C++ using a command within the RSL project support environment that translates RSL to C++. The preliminary results with our generator show that it holds promise as a stand-alone tool as well.


(Botswana Journal of Technology: 2002 11(2): 9-17)