arabelatso/static-reasoning-verifier
Verify code correctness statically against specifications using type checking, contract verification, and formal methods. Use when: (1) Verifying type safety and null safety in Python, Java, or C/C++ code, (2) Checking design-by-contract specifications (preconditions, postconditions, invariants), (3) Validating code against formal specifications, (4) Ensuring code quality and correctness before runtime, (5) Finding potential bugs through static analysis. Supports Python (mypy, contracts), Java (javac, JML), and provides verification scripts and contract specification guidelines.
npx skills add https://github.com/ArabelaTso/Skills-4-SE --skill static-reasoning-verifier
Verify code correctness statically against specifications through type checking, contract verification, and formal reasoning.
# Type checking and contract verification
python scripts/verify_python.py src/app.py
# Strict mode (enforce all type annotations)
python scripts/verify_python.py src/ --strict
# Type checking, null safety, and JML contracts
python scripts/verify_java.py src/Main.java
# Strict mode (enforce JML contracts)
python scripts/verify_java.py src/ --strict
Verify type correctness using static type checkers:
Python (mypy):
def add(a: int, b: int) -> int:
return a + b
result: int = add(5, 10) # ✅ Type safe
result: str = add(5, 10) # ❌ Type error
Java:
public int add(int a, int b) {
return a + b;
}
int result = add(5, 10); // ✅ Type safe
String result = add(5, 10); // ❌ Compile error
Verify preconditions, postconditions, and invariants:
Python:
def sqrt(x: float) -> float:
"""
Calculate square root.
Requires:
- x >= 0
Ensures:
- result * result ≈ x
"""
assert x >= 0, "Input must be non-negative"
result = x ** 0.5
assert abs(result * result - x) < 1e-10
return result
Java (JML):
/*@ requires x >= 0;
@ ensures \result >= 0;
@ ensures \result * \result <= x;
@*/
public static int sqrt(int x) {
// Implementation
}
Verify null pointer safety:
Java:
public @NonNull String getName(@NonNull User user) {
return user.getName(); // Safe - user cannot be null
}
Python:
from typing import Optional
def find_user(user_id: int) -> Optional[User]:
"""May return None if user not found."""
return database.get_user(user_id)
Define contracts for functions/methods:
def divide(a: float, b: float) -> float:
"""
Divide two numbers.
Precondition:
- b != 0
Postcondition:
- result * b ≈ a
Raises:
ValueError: If b is zero
"""
if b == 0:
raise ValueError("Division by zero")
return a / b
from typing import List, Optional
def process_items(items: List[int], threshold: int = 0) -> List[int]:
"""Filter items above threshold."""
return [item for item in items if item > threshold]
# Verify implementation matches specifications
python scripts/verify_python.py src/
Found 3 issue(s): 1 error(s), 2 warning(s)
ERRORS:
❌ src/utils.py:15 [type]
Argument 1 to "divide" has incompatible type "str"; expected "float"
💡 Check argument type matches function signature
WARNINGS:
⚠️ src/math.py:42 [contract]
Function 'sqrt' has parameters but no preconditions specified
💡 Add 'Requires:' section in docstring or @requires decorator
Update code to satisfy specifications:
# Before (type error)
result = divide("10", 5)
# After (type safe)
result = divide(10.0, 5.0)
The verification script uses mypy for static type checking:
python scripts/verify_python.py src/ --strict
Checks:
Example:
def greet(name: str) -> str:
return f"Hello, {name}"
greet("Alice") # ✅ Valid
greet(123) # ❌ Type error: expected str, got int
Checks design-by-contract specifications:
Decorator-based:
from contracts import requires, ensures
@requires(lambda x: x >= 0)
@ensures(lambda result: result >= 0)
def sqrt(x: float) -> float:
return x ** 0.5
Docstring-based:
def withdraw(account: Account, amount: float) -> None:
"""
Withdraw money from account.
Requires:
- amount > 0
- amount <= account.balance
Ensures:
- account.balance == old(account.balance) - amount
"""
assert amount > 0
assert amount <= account.balance
account.balance -= amount
See python_contracts.md for complete guide on Python design-by-contract patterns.
The verification script uses javac for compilation and type checking:
python scripts/verify_java.py src/ --strict
Checks:
Example:
public @NonNull String formatUser(@NonNull User user) {
// user cannot be null
return user.getName() + " (" + user.getEmail() + ")";
}
public @Nullable User findUser(int userId) {
// May return null
return database.getUser(userId);
}
Checks Java Modeling Language specifications:
public class BankAccount {
private double balance;
/*@ invariant balance >= 0;
@*/
/*@ requires amount > 0;
@ requires amount <= balance;
@ ensures balance == \old(balance) - amount;
@ assignable balance;
@*/
public void withdraw(double amount) {
balance -= amount;
}
/*@ requires amount > 0;
@ ensures balance == \old(balance) + amount;
@ assignable balance;
@*/
public void deposit(double amount) {
balance += amount;
}
}
See java_jml.md for complete JML specification guide.
def set_age(person: Person, age: int) -> None:
"""
Requires: 0 <= age <= 150
Ensures: person.age == age
"""
assert 0 <= age <= 150, "Age must be between 0 and 150"
person.age = age
def process_batch(items: List[Item]) -> None:
"""
Requires:
- len(items) > 0
- len(items) <= 1000
"""
assert len(items) > 0, "Batch cannot be empty"
assert len(items) <= 1000, "Batch too large"
# Process items
class Stack:
"""
Invariant:
- 0 <= self.size <= self.capacity
- All elements before size are not None
"""
def push(self, item):
"""
Requires: not self.is_full() and item is not None
Ensures: self.size == old(self.size) + 1
"""
assert not self.is_full()
assert item is not None
self.items[self.size] = item
self.size += 1
self._check_invariant()
Define specifications before implementation:
def sort_list(items: List[int]) -> List[int]:
"""
Sort list in ascending order.
Requires:
- items is a list
Ensures:
- len(result) == len(items)
- result is sorted ascending
- result contains same elements as items
"""
# Implementation here
# ✅ Good - Simple, clear
def withdraw(amount: float):
"""Requires: amount > 0 and amount <= balance"""
assert amount > 0 and amount <= self.balance
# ❌ Bad - Too complex
def withdraw(amount: float):
"""Requires: (amount > 0 and amount <= balance) or (overdraft_allowed and amount <= balance + overdraft_limit)"""
# ✅ Good - All parameters and return types annotated
def calculate_total(items: List[Item], tax_rate: float) -> float:
return sum(item.price for item in items) * (1 + tax_rate)
# ❌ Bad - Missing annotations
def calculate_total(items, tax_rate):
return sum(item.price for item in items) * (1 + tax_rate)
# Verify after every significant change
python scripts/verify_python.py src/
# Integrate into CI/CD
make verify # Run verification in build pipeline
def update_database(user: User) -> None:
"""
Update user in database.
Requires:
- user.id is set
Ensures:
- Database contains updated user
Side effects:
- Modifies database
- May raise DatabaseError
"""
Problem: Incompatible type error
Solution:
# Add explicit type annotation or cast
result: int = int(value) # Cast to int
result = cast(int, value) # Type cast
Problem: Optional type handling
Solution:
def get_name(user: Optional[User]) -> str:
if user is None:
return "Unknown"
return user.name # Safe - checked for None
Problem: Precondition failure
Solution:
# Add validation before calling
if amount > 0 and amount <= account.balance:
account.withdraw(amount)
else:
raise ValueError("Invalid withdrawal amount")
Problem: Postcondition failure
Solution:
# Verify implementation satisfies postcondition
def sqrt(x: float) -> float:
result = x ** 0.5
# Check postcondition
assert abs(result * result - x) < 1e-10
return result
See python_contracts.md for:
See java_jml.md for:
#!/bin/bash
# .git/hooks/pre-commit
echo "Running static verification..."
python scripts/verify_python.py src/
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "Verification failed. Commit aborted."
exit 1
fi
# .github/workflows/verify.yml
name: Static Verification
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
verify:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v3
- name: Set up Python
uses: actions/setup-python@v4
with:
python-version: '3.11'
- name: Install dependencies
run: pip install mypy
- name: Run verification
run: python scripts/verify_python.py src/ --strict
Most IDEs support type checking and linting:
Take arabelatso/static-reasoning-verifier from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal
use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.
The agent identifies a skill by the name field in its header. Two skills with the
same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.
The instructions reference pip.
Without those the skill loads but fails at the first command.