Formal Underpinnings of Java - an OOPSLA'98 Workshop

        Important Dates  
                Submissions:     31 July 1998  
                Notifications:      20 August 1998  
                Final Versions:   20 September 1998  

                Workshop:          18 October 1998
 
Sunday, 18 October 1998,  Vancouver, Canada
    Java offers a novel paradigm for program deployment. It supports intermediate code that is dynamically loaded from remote sites - sometimes without the user's knowledge. For Web pages, Java applets can greatly improve interactivity; for Java developers, the Java paradigm promises benefits in portability and manageability. However, the Java paradigm also opens new possibilities for abuse and has caused concern about security.
    The application of formal methods to the Java paradigm aims to provide a better understanding of the approach by rigorously formulating and trying to prove the soundness of binary compatibility, type safety, security and other guarantees made by  Java. It also aims to provide some guidance for further development of the paradigm by uncovering possible design flaws and by supplying a platform for the description of future extensions.
    This workshop aims to bring together researchers to share new ideas and results.  Since the main focus in selecting workshop contributions will be the intrinsic interest and timeliness of the work, authors are encouraged to submit (polished) descriptions of work in progress as well as papers describing completed projects. The proceedings will be published as a Princeton University technical report and be available from the web.   We solicit submissions on original research  on the following, or related subjects:
  • semantics of Java
  • semantics of byte code, correctness of the byte code verifier
  • formal verification of Java programs
  • separate compilation, binary compatibility
  • dynamic linking and loading
  • security policy
  • practicality of formal methods for Java
  • comparison of  approaches, tools
Electronic versions of extended abstracts between 2500 and 5000 words (approximately 5-10 pages) should be e-mailed to S.Eisenbach@doc.ic.ac.uk by Friday, 31 July 1998, using US-letter or A4 size, Postscript or PDF. The submission may be included inline in the message or as a MIME attachment only. (If electronic submission is impossible, postal submissions must be received by Friday 31 July 1998; enclose 4 double-sided copies, a return postal address, a phone number, and a return e-mail address.)  Receipt of the submissions will be acknowledged by e-mail. The authors should inquire in case a prompt acknowledgment is not received.

Program Committee

Susan Eisenbach, Imperial College 
Jim Alves-Foss, University of Idaho 
Drew Dean, Princeton University 
Sophia Drossopoulou, Imperial College 
Tobias Nipkow, Technische Universität München 
Raymie Stata, Digital Equipment Corporation 
 Correspondence and questions  
should be sent to  
S.Eisenbach@doc.ic.ac.uk
 
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