--- layout: fc_discuss_archives title: Message 22 from Frama-C-discuss on May 2020 ---
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[Frama-c-discuss] Frama-c support for dynamic memory



Hello Mike, hello to all,

Le 18/05/2020 à 03:21, Whalen, Mike a écrit :
> Hello all,
> 
>    Apologies for perhaps an unfair criticism of the WP manual.  It is 
> really a nice document, and I have been able to prove some interesting 
> things.  However, if we wish to use frama-c for AWS-related projects, we 
> must have support for dynamic memory.

Interesting to learn that AWS aims at formally verifying C code. It is 
of course legitimate that you investigate on the existing tools to do so.

Your analysis about capabilities of Frama-C and the WP plugin seems 
accurate to me. Let me add a few points that may make your analysis even 
more informed

* verifying C code involving complex data-structures, including dynamic 
memory allocation, remains nowadays a complex task and a complex problem 
that is the subject of many on-going research in academia. It is not the 
case that you could find a perfect tool that would suit your needs 
off-the-shelf

* Using techniques based on deductive verification is certainly 
promising, however for industrial needs I think it is important to have 
a broader vision and be ready to use several different techniques. For 
example regarding using Frama-C I was wondering if you investigated the 
Eva plug-in and how Eva and WP can be used in combination?

* a less academic point : developing verification environment like 
Frama-C and make them reasonably usable from an industrial perspective 
costs a lot of human resources and money. Frama-C and WP are freely 
available, their development were and are supported in part by French 
public funding and in part by collaborations and contracts with 
industrial users. Is AWS considering a collaboration with the Frama-C 
developer team, with corresponding funding? [Disclaimer: I'm not member 
of Frama-C devteam, not a member of the CEA institute... yet I am paying 
taxes in France...]

> In looking at more of the plug-ins, it appears that Jessie is built on 
> top of separation logic.  It is still referenced in the frama-c web 
> site, but is it still supported?  The documentation was a bit sketchy.

Being the main and almost only remaining maintainer of Jessie, I can say 
that they are current developments for porting it to recent Frama-C 
versions, but the development is now stopped due to absence of funding.

Have a nice day, take care,

- Claude