We compare two methods for software specification: <em>algebraic specifications</em> and automata. While algebraic specifications have been around since the 1970s and have been studied extensively, specification by automata is relatively new. Its origins are in another veteran method called <em>trace assertions</em>, which considers a software module as a set of traces, that is, a sequences of function executions. A module is specified by a set of canonical traces and an equivalence relation matching one of the canonical traces to each non-canonical trace. It has been recently shown that trace assertions is an equivalent method to specification by automata. In continuation of this work on trace assertions and automata, we study how automata compare with algebraic specifications. We prove that every specification using an automaton can be converted into an algebraic specification describing the same abstract data type. This conversion utilises a set of canonical words, representing states in the automaton. We next consider varieties of monoids as a heuristic for obtaining more concise algebraic specifications from automata. Finally, we discuss the opposite conversion of algebraic specifications into automata. We show that, while an automaton always exists for every abstract data type described by an algebraic specification, this automaton may not be finitely describable and therefore may not be considered as a viable method for software specification.

We compare two methods for software specification: <em>algebraic specifications</em> and automata. While algebraic specifications have been around since the 1970s and have been studied extensively, specification by automata is relatively new. Its origins are in another veteran method called <em>trace assertions</em>, which considers a software module as a set of traces, that is, a sequences of function executions. A module is specified by a set of canonical traces and an equivalence relation matching one of the canonical traces to each non-canonical trace. It has been recently shown that trace assertions is an equivalent method to specification by automata. In continuation of this work on trace assertions and automata, we study how automata compare with algebraic specifications. We prove that every specification using an automaton can be converted into an algebraic specification describing the same abstract data type. This conversion utilises a set of canonical words, representing states in the automaton. We next consider varieties of monoids as a heuristic for obtaining more concise algebraic specifications from automata. Finally, we discuss the opposite conversion of algebraic specifications into automata. We show that, while an automaton always exists for every abstract data type described by an algebraic specification, this automaton may not be finitely describable and therefore may not be considered as a viable method for software specification.

Dans le but de faciliter la tâche d'évaluation du niveau de sécurité incendie aux ingénieurs et permettre aux spécialistes impliqués dans le domaine d'utiliser leurs langages et outils préférés, nous proposons de créer un langage dédié au domaine de la sécurité incendie générant automatiquement une simulation en prenant en considération les langages métiers utilisés par les spécialistes intervenants dans le domaine. Ce DSL nécessite la définition, la formalisation, la composition et l'intégration de plusieurs modèles, par rapport aux langages spécifiques utilisés par les spécialistes impliqués dans le domaine. Le langage spécifique dédié au domaine de la sécurité incendie est conçu par composition et intégration de plusieurs autres DSLs décrits par des langages techniques et naturels (ainsi que des langages naturels faisant référence à des langages techniques). Ces derniers sont modélisés de manière à ce que leurs composants soient précis et fondés sur des bases mathématiques permettant de vérifier la cohérence du système (personnes et matériaux sont en sécurité) avant sa mise en œuvre. Dans ce contexte, nous proposons d'adopter une approche formelle, basée sur des spécifications algébriques, pour formaliser les langages utilisés par les spécialistes impliqués dans le système de génération, en se concentrant à la fois sur les syntaxes et les sémantiques des langages dédiés. Dans l'approche algébrique, les concepts du domaine sont abstraits par des types de données et les relations entre eux. La sémantique des langages spécifiques est décrite par les relations, le mapping (correspondances) entre les types de données définis et leurs propriétés. Le langage de simulation est basé sur un langage conçu par la composition de plusieurs DSL spécifiques précédemment décrits et formalisés. Les différents DSLs sont implémentés en se basant sur les concepts de la programmation fonctionnelle et le langage fonctionnel Haskell bien adapté à cette approche. Le résultat de ce travail est un outil informatique dédié à la génération automatique de simulation, dans le but de faciliter la tâche d'évaluation du niveau de sécurité incendie aux ingénieurs. Cet outil est la propriété du Centre Scientifique et Technique du bâtiment (CSTB), une organisation dont la mission est de garantir la qualité et la sécurité des bâtiments, en réunissant des compétences multidisciplinaires pour développer et partager des connaissances scientifiques et techniques, afin de fournir aux différents acteurs les réponses attendues dans leur pratique professionnelle. / In order to facilitate the engineers task of evaluating the fire safety level, and to allow the specialists involved in the field to use their preferred languages and tools, we propose to create a language dedicated to the field of fire safety, which automatically generates a simulation, taking into account the specific languages used by the specialists involved in the field. This DSL requires the definition, the formalization, the composition and the integration of several models, regardig to the specific languages used by the specialists involved in the field. The specific language dedicated to the field of fire safety is designed by composing and integrating several other DSLs described by technical and natural languages (as well as natural languages referring to technical ones). These latter are modeled in a way that their components must be precise and based on mathematical foundations, in order to verify the consistency of the system (people and materials are safe) before it implementation. In this context, we propose to adopt a formal approach, based on algebraic specifications, to formalize the languages used by the specialists involved in the generation system, focusing on both syntaxes and semantics of the dedicated languages. In the algebraic approach, the concepts of the domain are abstracted by data types and the relationships between them. The semantics of specific languages is described by the relationships, the mappings between the defined data types and their properties. The simulation language is based on a composition of several specific DSLs previously described and formalized. The DSLs are implemented based on the concepts of functional programming and the Haskell functional language, well adapted to this approach. The result of this work is a software dedicated to the automatic generation of a simulation, in order to facilitate the evaluation of the fire safety level to the engineers. This tool is the property of the Scientific and Technical Center for Building (CSTB), an organization whose mission is to guarantee the quality and safety of buildings by combining multidisciplinary skills to develop and share scientific and technical knowledge, in order to provide to the different actors the expected answers in their professional practice.