Formal methods have been applied successfully to the verification of medium-sized programs in protocol and hardware design. However, their application to the development of large systems requires more emphasis on specification, modelling and validation techniques supporting the concepts of reusability and modifiability, and their implementation in new extensions of existing programming languages.

This book presents revised tutorial lectures given by invited speakers at the Third International Symposium on Formal Methods for Components and Objects, FMCO 2004, held in Leiden, The Netherlands, in November 2004. The 14 revised lectures by leading researchers present a comprehensive account of the potential of formal methods applied to large and complex software systems such as component-based systems and object systems. The book provides an unique combination of ideas on software engineering and formal methods that reflect the expanding body of knowledge on modern software systems.