🚀 go-pugleaf

Dear Richard Wallace,

With regard to your queries about Z in the UK

The ZIP project is being partly funded by the UK Department of Trade
and Industry and the Science and Engineering Research Council. 
It involves seven partners in the UK (a mix of companies and academic 
departments).

The project has four main themes

*	standardisation of Z
*	methods support for Z
*	tools for Z
*	foundations of Z (eg logic, proof rules).

The project lasts for three years and finishes at the end of Jan 1993.

As far as the standards work is concerned, it has been accepted as a BSI work
item and is under ballot for ISO consideration.  There is a committee of
which John Nicholls is the chair, and he is jointly editing the standard
with Stephen Brien (who has done much of the technical work).  Both of
these are based at the Programming Research Group at Oxford University.

Here in Logica we are leading the methods work.  We have carried out a 
survey of Z users in the UK (a copy of which I could send you if you wish),
a study into various object oriented variants of Z (which has been 
published as a book --- see the monthly message for details), and are 
producing a handbook on using Z (this we also hope to have published).

The tools work has been carried out at British Aerospace where they 
have worked on plugging gaps in the tools market.  Your contact there is
Brian Hepworth who, as the technical manager of the project, could  also
advise on the work in the foundations stream of ZIP.

Perhaps I could ask you what your interest in Z is?  

Rosalind Barden
Logica Cambridge Ltd
Betjeman House
104 Hills Road
Cambridge CB2 1LQ
UK