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Wed Nov 17 06:10:56 PST 2010

Syntax of The Formal Specification Language Z

MATHS

This document is prepared using the MATHS notation [ math.syntax.html ] and a goal for Dr. Botting's MATHS project is to get the power of Z without the baggage of TeX. This notation is used in this document and is called MATHS.

When used for syntax it close enough to EBNF to be called XBNF. The following special forms are used in syntax

1. L(X,Y)::=X #(Y X), list of X's separated by Ys.
2. List(X)::=X #("," X), list of X's separated by Ys.
3. #X::=any number of X including none.
4. O(X)::= (|X), optional X.
5. definer::= ":" ":" "=", two colons and an equalsign.
6. EOLN::=end of line.

Lexicon

Z depends on the being able to express mathematical style formulae. As a result it is either hand written or prepared using TeX and/or a special font. The special fonts for MS Windows and Macintoshes and the TeX style. For more on ΤΕΧ and ASCII see: [ comp.text.TeX.html ] [ comp.text.ASCII.html ]

*New* Proposed standard lexemes for ASCII/EMail: [ z.lexis.html ]

There is a computerized code developed at York University England and tools that translate that into TeX.

There is an excellent simple text that shows how to use Z to specify digital systems:

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