🚀 go-pugleaf

A few days ago, I posted a request to comp.software-eng asking the
basic question: "Who uses Z, and for what?" As a result of that
posting, I was directed to this newgroup and its FAQ. However, I have
not really seen any answers to my question; while many people are
interested in this question (I have recieved many requests for a
summary), I have not gotten much information. The only things I have
seen so far is that Z has been used for:
	1) IBM CICS development (most weel know, won an important
British award)
	2) Development of a Tek 'scope
	3) Transputer and other microprocessor design (microcode + HW)

Is this all that has been done with Z?  I find that hard to believe.
And the line "companies don't reveal their use of Z for
security/competitive reasons" just doesn't wash; I build trading
systems for a Wall Street house, and if we used Z, and derived any
benefit, we would tell the world.

So, once again, I ask my question: Does anybody use Z?

The original post follows....

-frank



Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Path: panix!fhd
From: fhd@panix.com (Frank Deutschmann)
Subject: Z Specification Language -- Does anyone use it?
Message-ID: <1992Oct1.004147.1757@panix.com>
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 00:41:47 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix & Internet, NYC
Lines: 22

I have been reading a great deal about Z, the formal specification
language recently, and I was curious if anyone out here on the net has
experience with or actively uses Z (or another formal specification
language/system) in real and/or academic projects.

I'm not real interested in Z theory, but rather I am interested in
real-world, real-project experience with Z. What sort of projects do
people actually specify in Z? Do they tend to be multi-gazillion
dollar century-long projects, or do-it-in-a-week projects, or
everything in between? How do programmers, analysts, end users, and
everyone in between react to Z?

Any thoughts?

(I'm not real interested in starting a formal spec vs. prototype
debate/brawl/war, but, on the other hand, that may actually be an
interesting thread to take up...)

-- 
-frank
(fhd@panix.com)