{"id":"https://openalex.org/W4400582518","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3660791","title":"Can Large Language Models Transform Natural Language Intent into Formal Method Postconditions?","display_name":"Can Large Language Models Transform Natural Language Intent into Formal Method Postconditions?","publication_year":2024,"publication_date":"2024-07-12","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W4400582518","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3660791"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1145/3660791","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3660791","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4404663975","display_name":"Proceedings of the ACM on software engineering.","issn_l":"2994-970X","issn":["2994-970X"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319798","host_organization_name":"Association for Computing Machinery","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319798"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association for Computing Machinery"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Proceedings of the ACM on Software Engineering","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"hybrid","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3660791","any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5036957433","display_name":"Madeline Endres","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4618-4939"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I27837315","display_name":"University of Michigan","ror":"https://ror.org/00jmfr291","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I27837315"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Madeline Endres","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I27837315"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5068417203","display_name":"Sarah Fakhoury","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8486-7749"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I1290206253","display_name":"Microsoft (United States)","ror":"https://ror.org/00d0nc645","country_code":"US","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1290206253"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I58610484","display_name":"Seattle University","ror":"https://ror.org/02jqc0m91","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I58610484"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Sarah Fakhoury","raw_affiliation_strings":["Microsoft Research, Seattle, USA"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Microsoft Research, Seattle, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I1290206253","https://openalex.org/I58610484"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5074368173","display_name":"Saikat Chakraborty","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6889-7171"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I1290206253","display_name":"Microsoft (United States)","ror":"https://ror.org/00d0nc645","country_code":"US","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1290206253"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I58610484","display_name":"Seattle University","ror":"https://ror.org/02jqc0m91","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I58610484"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Saikat Chakraborty","raw_affiliation_strings":["Microsoft Research, Seattle, USA"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Microsoft Research, Seattle, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I1290206253","https://openalex.org/I58610484"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5041084431","display_name":"Shuvendu K. Lahiri","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4446-4777"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I1290206253","display_name":"Microsoft (United States)","ror":"https://ror.org/00d0nc645","country_code":"US","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1290206253"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I58610484","display_name":"Seattle University","ror":"https://ror.org/02jqc0m91","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I58610484"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Shuvendu K. Lahiri","raw_affiliation_strings":["Microsoft Research, Seattle, USA"],"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Microsoft Research, Seattle, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I1290206253","https://openalex.org/I58610484"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":4,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5036957433"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I27837315"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":19.4856,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":25,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.99294681,"is_in_top_1_percent":true,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":90,"max":100},"biblio":{"volume":"1","issue":"FSE","first_page":"1889","last_page":"1912"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.9998999834060669,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10260","display_name":"Software Engineering Research","score":0.9998999834060669,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10743","display_name":"Software Testing and Debugging Techniques","score":0.9997000098228455,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1712","display_name":"Software"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12423","display_name":"Software Reliability and Analysis Research","score":0.9990000128746033,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1712","display_name":"Software"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-science","display_name":"Computer science","score":0.8444329500198364},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/programming-language","display_name":"Programming language","score":0.6352946758270264},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/natural-language","display_name":"Natural language","score":0.6288350820541382},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/correctness","display_name":"Correctness","score":0.5547380447387695},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/documentation","display_name":"Documentation","score":0.47830989956855774},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/object-language","display_name":"Object language","score":0.4610298275947571},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/specification-language","display_name":"Specification language","score":0.4494013786315918},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/natural-language-programming","display_name":"Natural language programming","score":0.4200356602668762},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/natural-language-processing","display_name":"Natural language processing","score":0.38150104880332947},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/artificial-intelligence","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","score":0.3471122980117798},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/universal-networking-language","display_name":"Universal Networking Language","score":0.2383919060230255},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/comprehension-approach","display_name":"Comprehension approach","score":0.11902472376823425}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.8444329500198364},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199360897","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9143","display_name":"Programming language","level":1,"score":0.6352946758270264},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C195324797","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q33742","display_name":"Natural language","level":2,"score":0.6288350820541382},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C55439883","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q360812","display_name":"Correctness","level":2,"score":0.5547380447387695},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C56666940","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q788790","display_name":"Documentation","level":2,"score":0.47830989956855774},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C185954173","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4347052","display_name":"Object language","level":3,"score":0.4610298275947571},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C201677973","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1209840","display_name":"Specification language","level":2,"score":0.4494013786315918},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C67463725","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17081452","display_name":"Natural language programming","level":5,"score":0.4200356602668762},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C204321447","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30642","display_name":"Natural language processing","level":1,"score":0.38150104880332947},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.3471122980117798},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C83479923","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2063748","display_name":"Universal Networking Language","level":4,"score":0.2383919060230255},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C129353971","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5156949","display_name":"Comprehension approach","level":3,"score":0.11902472376823425}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1145/3660791","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3660791","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4404663975","display_name":"Proceedings of the ACM on software engineering.","issn_l":"2994-970X","issn":["2994-970X"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319798","host_organization_name":"Association for Computing Machinery","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319798"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association for Computing Machinery"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Proceedings of the ACM on Software Engineering","raw_type":"journal-article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1145/3660791","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3660791","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4404663975","display_name":"Proceedings of the ACM on software engineering.","issn_l":"2994-970X","issn":["2994-970X"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319798","host_organization_name":"Association for Computing Machinery","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319798"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association for Computing Machinery"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Proceedings of the ACM on Software Engineering","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"score":0.6399999856948853,"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/10","display_name":"Reduced inequalities"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":39,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1511110335","https://openalex.org/W1589211450","https://openalex.org/W1971650562","https://openalex.org/W2036086780","https://openalex.org/W2088094671","https://openalex.org/W2103318645","https://openalex.org/W2109612250","https://openalex.org/W2118111397","https://openalex.org/W2118655104","https://openalex.org/W2126775986","https://openalex.org/W2130427425","https://openalex.org/W2133068784","https://openalex.org/W2135841285","https://openalex.org/W2139555094","https://openalex.org/W2152874840","https://openalex.org/W2156723666","https://openalex.org/W2170196926","https://openalex.org/W2185676247","https://openalex.org/W2311603331","https://openalex.org/W2471601946","https://openalex.org/W2561675875","https://openalex.org/W2617604339","https://openalex.org/W2747329762","https://openalex.org/W2879105418","https://openalex.org/W2968771148","https://openalex.org/W3032926390","https://openalex.org/W3086938529","https://openalex.org/W3089816368","https://openalex.org/W3149821397","https://openalex.org/W3160282589","https://openalex.org/W4226278401","https://openalex.org/W4240226860","https://openalex.org/W4283026156","https://openalex.org/W4284690374","https://openalex.org/W4285204876","https://openalex.org/W4287668913","https://openalex.org/W4384304865","https://openalex.org/W4398239232","https://openalex.org/W6838461927"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W1641801284","https://openalex.org/W2067569787","https://openalex.org/W3030968840","https://openalex.org/W4310801723","https://openalex.org/W2913520953","https://openalex.org/W2551652406","https://openalex.org/W2271580391","https://openalex.org/W2040875336","https://openalex.org/W2413973858","https://openalex.org/W2113436743"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Informal":[0],"natural":[1,33,48,75,79,102,119,156],"language":[2,34,49,80,103,120,157],"that":[3,28,125,202,216],"describes":[4],"code":[5,9,59],"functionality,":[6],"such":[7,134],"as":[8,163],"comments":[10],"or":[11],"function":[12],"documentation,":[13],"may":[14],"contain":[15],"substantial":[16],"information":[17,45,65],"about":[18],"a":[19,29,42],"program\u2019s":[20,30],"intent.":[21,128],"However,":[22,109],"there":[23],"is":[24,66,111,131],"typically":[25],"no":[26],"guarantee":[27],"implementation":[31],"and":[32,58,168,173,181,191,207],"documentation":[35],"are":[36,204],"aligned.":[37],"In":[38,61,141],"the":[39,51,71,95,99,148,179,196,221],"case":[40],"of":[41,74,89,101,150,184,198],"conflict,":[43],"leveraging":[44,151],"in":[46,139,226],"code-adjacent":[47],"has":[50,220],"potential":[52,96,222],"to":[53,70,83,97,105,158,171,194,209,223,233],"enhance":[54],"fault":[55],"localization,":[56],"debugging,":[57],"trustworthiness.":[60],"practice,":[62],"however,":[63],"this":[64,142],"often":[67],"underutilized":[68],"due":[69],"inherent":[72],"ambiguity":[73],"language,":[76],"which":[77],"makes":[78],"intent":[81,104],"challenging":[82],"check":[84],"programmatically.":[85],"The":[86],"\u201cemergent":[87],"abilities\u201d":[88],"Large":[90],"Language":[91],"Models":[92],"(LLMs)":[93],"have":[94],"facilitate":[98],"translation":[100,135],"programmatically":[106],"checkable":[107],"assertions.":[108,165],"it":[110,130],"unclear":[112,132],"if":[113,133],"LLMs":[114,152,219],"can":[115],"correctly":[116],"translate":[117],"informal":[118,155],"specifications":[121,124],"into":[122],"formal":[123,159],"match":[126],"programmer":[127],"Additionally,":[129],"could":[136],"be":[137,224],"useful":[138],"practice.":[140],"paper,":[143],"we":[144,214],"describe":[145],"nl2postcond":[146,176,199,217,228],",":[147],"problem":[149],"for":[153],"transforming":[154],"method":[160],"postconditions,":[161,200],"expressed":[162],"program":[164],"We":[166,187],"introduce":[167],"validate":[169],"metrics":[170],"measure":[172],"compare":[174],"different":[175],"approaches,":[177],"using":[178],"correctness":[180],"discriminative":[182],"power":[183],"generated":[185,229],"postconditions.":[186],"then":[188],"use":[189],"qualitative":[190],"quantitative":[192],"methods":[193],"assess":[195],"quality":[197],"finding":[201],"they":[203],"generally":[205],"correct":[206],"able":[208,232],"discriminate":[210],"incorrect":[211],"code.":[212],"Finally,":[213],"find":[215],"via":[218],"helpful":[225],"practice;":[227],"postconditions":[230],"were":[231],"catch":[234],"64":[235],"real-world":[236],"historical":[237],"bugs":[238],"from":[239],"Defects4J":[240],".":[241]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":3},{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":21},{"year":2024,"cited_by_count":1}],"updated_date":"2026-03-29T08:15:47.926485","created_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00"}