Slicing algebraic specifications

This paper reports an investigation into the application of slicing techniques to OBJ, an algebraic specification notation. A general method for slicing an OBJ specification based on its abstract syntax tree is described and examples of slices produced are presented. A tool that slices OBJ specifications is reported together with the results of applying this tool to several published specifications. The results show that slices of algebraic specifications can provide the same benefit as slices of imperative programs, namely reduced length, thus leading to ease of comprehension and future maintenance. However, slice-based metrics that have been suggested for determining the cohesion of modules in imperative languages do not give an obvious indication of quality in the context of an OBJ module. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.