Behavioral specification of distributed software component interfaces

Networked computers are finding their way into a broader range of environments, from corporate offices to schools, homes, and shirt pockets. This new computing model fosters the development of distributed software components that communicate with one another across the underlying networked infrastructure. A distributed software component can be plugged into distributed applications that may not have existed when it was created. The intention is that many developers will reuse distributed software components to build new systems. An interface definition language usually is used to describe a distributed software component´s interface. However, a notable limitation of current IDLs is that they generally only describe the names and type signatures of the component´s attributes and operations. Current IDLs don´t formally specify the behavior of the software component´s operations. To help solve these problems, the authors have developed Biscotti (behavioral specification of distributed software component interfaces), a Java extension that enhances Java remote method invocation interfaces with Eiffel-style preconditions, postconditions, and invariants