Preliminary design of BML: A behavioral interface specification language for Java']Java bytecode

We present the Bytecode Modeling Language (BML), the Java bytecode cousin of JML. BML allows the application developer to specify the behaviour of an application in the form of annotations, directly at the level of the bytecode. An extension of the class file format is defined to store the specification directly with the bytecode. This is a first step towards the development of a platform for Proof Carrying Code, where applications come together with their specification and a proof of correctness. BML is designed to be closely related with JML. In particular, JML specifications can be compiled into BML specifications. We briefly discuss the tools that are currently being developed for BML, and that will result in a tool set where an application can be validated throughout its development, both at source code and at bytecode level.