Applying Formal Software Engineering Methods to Improve Java-Based Web Application Quality

Abstract

Quality Assurance for Java-based web applications is the main roadblock, as they are intricate, user requirements are continuously changing and also the web technologies are so dynamic. The adoption of conventional development and testing strategies provides an opportunity for bugs, performance problems, and security vulnerabilities to be ascertained. In order to improve the software reliability and correctness of the program, we propose using formal software engineering methods like formal specification, model checking, and mathematical verification, which are structured and strictly logical procedures. As part of the research, an investigation of the usability of the mentioned formal methods in a real case of the Java-based web application was carried out. The main parts of the system were modeled, and then the meeting conditions for the problem were evaluated through the verification process. In a case prepared specifically, it is shown, for example, that this form of specification is able to identify faults in the design quite early and tools like model checkers are able to directly test the logic of deformed aspects in practice that could remain hidden under normal testing. The investigation identifies that although the application of formal means is at first slightly laborious and entails costs, the benefits in the long run are numerous, for instance, higher programming efficiency, reduced rates of defects, and valid software structure. It is further revealed that adding formal methods into existing agile workflows is an approach that can be adopted without facing large challenges while instead producing valuable outcomes, especially in cases of business logic and user data, which are the most critical areas of the system. This method should be seen as an addition and not as an alternative to traditional methods, and it is a way of obtaining a kind of compound assurance