Validating Properties of Component-based Graphical User Interfaces

In this paper we describe a validation process for graphical user interfaces based on existing toolkits and higher-order logic as mechanized in the HOL system. The underlying approach uses a single specification for constructing both implementations (prototypes) for experimentation and models for formal reasoning. The formal models allow the designer to verify mechanically specific requirements imposed on the user interface such as those found in safetyor security-critical applications. We illustrate our approach with an example that shows how the proof process works for behavioral properties that have been expressed in a rule-based fashion.