Logic Programming: Systematic Program Development (International Series in Logic Programming)

Although Prolog is now widely used for the development of programs or software, there is nevertheless a need for a discipline of Prolog programming or software development with the Prolog language. This book is aimed at being a first step in this direction. A systematic methodology for logic program development is proposed, covering the entire development process: from an informal specification to an efficient logic program. Our subject is thus the rigorous construction of logic programs which are both correct and efficient. Our goal is not to reject Prolog programmers' techniques, but rather to induce the programmers to be more rigorous, and to help them in the development of reliable logic programs. The book also has a broader aim in the development of program construction techniques.[...]This book is intended for Prolog programmers, students, and those interested in logic programming, as well as researchers in logic programming. It will be assumed that the reader has some knowledge of the Prolog language and some programming practice can also be useful. The Prolog language will not be described here. We refer the reader to the classic Clocksin and Mellish (1984), or to the well-developed Sterling and Shapiro (1986). No particular prerequisite on logic or on the theory of logic programming is required.