 | |
| Abbreviation | DDC |
|---|---|
| Successor | DDC International A/S, DDC-I |
| Formation | September 1979 |
| Dissolved | 1989 |
| Type | Research and development centre |
| Location | |
| Services | Computer science |
Managing director | Leif Rystrøm |
Scientific leader | Dines Bjørner |
Manager, Ada projects | Ole N. Oest |
Budget (1984) | DKK 13 million |
Staff (1984) | 40 |
Dansk Datamatik Center (DDC) was a Danish software research and development centre that existed from 1979 to 1989. Its main purpose was to demonstrate the value of using modern techniques, especially those involving formal methods, in software design and development.
Three major projects dominated much of the centre's existence. The first concerned the formal specification and compilation of the CHILL programming language for use in telecommunication switches. The second involved the formal specification and compilation of the Ada programming language. Both the Ada and CHILL efforts made use of formal methods.[1] In particular, DDC worked with Meta-IV, an early version of the specification language of the Vienna Development Method (VDM) formal method for the development of computer-based systems. As founded by Dines Bjørner, this represented the "Danish School" of VDM.[2] This use of VDM led in 1984 to the DDC Ada compiler becoming the first European Ada compiler to be validated by the United States Department of Defense.[3] The third major project was dedicated towards creation of a new formal method, RAISE.
The success of the Ada compiler system would lead to creation of the commercial company DDC International A/S (DDC-I, Inc. in the US) in 1985, which would develop, productise, and market it both directly to customers and to other companies which would use it as the basis for their own Ada compiler products.