The primary objective of this research is to investigate the development of an intelligent environment for managing the complexity of a semantically rich specification model to assist in the design and evolution of specifications. In support of this objective, this thesis presents: (1) a model of specification development based on transformations of specifications and merging of divergent specifications, (2) an environment which assists in the application of a simplified set of these transforma­tional operators.

An interesting aspect of the model is that some transformations are not correct­ness preserving. Such operators modify the meaning of a specification through (1) the modification of the goals and policies of the requirements which can then be compiled into the specification and (2) direct modification of the specification rationalized by goals and policies which have not been fully compiled in to it.