formal specification for Java

Dan Lambright (dlambright@opengroup.org)
Wed, 08 Oct 1997 10:22:44 -0400

Message-Id: <199710081422.KAA04166@postman.opengroup.org>
To: java-security@web2.javasoft.com
Subject: formal specification for Java
Date: Wed, 08 Oct 1997 10:22:44 -0400
From: Dan Lambright <dlambright@opengroup.org>

Can you tell me if there are currently development efforts underway to devise
a formal specification of the Java language and/or bytecodes? In our research
group we would like to argue to proponents of competing languages (such as ML)
that a formal specification is something that will exist in the near future.
As you are no doubt aware Java's lack of formal analysis has been a point of
criticism. In the book "Java Security", G. McGraw and E. Felten say that they
"have heard" this is happening. Is there more concrete information available.

Thank you,
Dan Lambright