Formal Program Verification in Java

Formal verification is usually taught with a focus on functional languages, such as Agda, or specialized languages, such as Dafny. However, it remains a fact that these languages are not very commonly used in mainstream software development.
Nevertheless, strong guarantees about correctness of software remain highly desirable in nearly all applications. This paper attempts to bridge the gap between formal verification methods and mainstream software development. To achieve this goal, the paper presents state-of-the-art tools and technologies that can be used to formally verify Java programs. Futhermore, a focus is set on ease-of-use and learning simplicity, as a measure for how viable a tool is for use during teaching at the bachelor’s level.