---
_id: '4622'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Conventional type systems specify interfaces in terms of values and domains.
    We present a light-weight formalism that captures the temporal aspects of software
    component interfaces. Specifically, we use an automata-based language to capture
    both input assumptions about the order in which the methods of a component are
    called, and output guarantees about the order in which the component calls external
    methods. The formalism supports automatic compatability checks between interface
    models, and thus constitutes a type system for component interaction. Unlike traditional
    uses of automata, our formalism is based on an optimistic approach to composition,
    and on an alternating approach to design refinement. According to the optimistic
    approach, two components are compatible if there is some environment that can
    make them work together. According to the alternating approach, one interface
    refines another if it has weaker input assumptions, and stronger output guarantees.
    We show that these notions have game-theoretic foundations that lead to efficient
    algorithms for checking compatibility and refinement.
acknowledgement: We thank Edward A. Lee, Xiaojun Liu, Freddy Mang, and Yuhong Xiong
  for fruitful discussions. This research was supported in part by the AFOSR MURI
  grant F49620-00-1-0327, the DARPA MoBIES grant F33615-00-C-1703, the MARCO GSRC
  grant 98-DT-660, the NSF Theory grant CCR-9988172, and the NSF ITR grant CCR-0085949.
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: Luca
  full_name: De Alfaro, Luca
  last_name: De Alfaro
- first_name: Thomas A
  full_name: Henzinger, Thomas A
  id: 40876CD8-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Henzinger
  orcid: 0000−0002−2985−7724
citation:
  ama: 'De Alfaro L, Henzinger TA. Interface automata. In: <i>Proceedings of the 8th
    European Software Engineering Conference</i>. ACM; 2001:109-120. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/503209.503226">10.1145/503209.503226</a>'
  apa: 'De Alfaro, L., &#38; Henzinger, T. A. (2001). Interface automata. In <i>Proceedings
    of the 8th European software engineering conference</i> (pp. 109–120). Vienna,
    Austria: ACM. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/503209.503226">https://doi.org/10.1145/503209.503226</a>'
  chicago: De Alfaro, Luca, and Thomas A Henzinger. “Interface Automata.” In <i>Proceedings
    of the 8th European Software Engineering Conference</i>, 109–20. ACM, 2001. <a
    href="https://doi.org/10.1145/503209.503226">https://doi.org/10.1145/503209.503226</a>.
  ieee: L. De Alfaro and T. A. Henzinger, “Interface automata,” in <i>Proceedings
    of the 8th European software engineering conference</i>, Vienna, Austria, 2001,
    pp. 109–120.
  ista: 'De Alfaro L, Henzinger TA. 2001. Interface automata. Proceedings of the 8th
    European software engineering conference. FSE: Foundations of Software Engineering,
    109–120.'
  mla: De Alfaro, Luca, and Thomas A. Henzinger. “Interface Automata.” <i>Proceedings
    of the 8th European Software Engineering Conference</i>, ACM, 2001, pp. 109–20,
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/503209.503226">10.1145/503209.503226</a>.
  short: L. De Alfaro, T.A. Henzinger, in:, Proceedings of the 8th European Software
    Engineering Conference, ACM, 2001, pp. 109–120.
conference:
  end_date: 2001-09-14
  location: Vienna, Austria
  name: 'FSE: Foundations of Software Engineering'
  start_date: 2001-09-10
date_created: 2018-12-11T12:09:48Z
date_published: 2001-06-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2023-05-08T12:01:02Z
day: '01'
doi: 10.1145/503209.503226
extern: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '06'
oa_version: None
page: 109 - 120
publication: Proceedings of the 8th European software engineering conference
publication_identifier:
  isbn:
  - '9781581133905'
publication_status: published
publisher: ACM
publist_id: '83'
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Interface automata
type: conference
user_id: ea97e931-d5af-11eb-85d4-e6957dddbf17
year: '2001'
...