| ## 1 Introduction Michel Bidoit1 and Peter D. Mosses2 1 Laboratoire Spécification et Vérification, CNRS UMR 8643 École Normale Supérieure de Cachan 61, Avenue du Président Wilson, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France `bidoit@lsv.ens-cachan.fr` 2 University of Aarhus, BRICS and Department of Computer Science Aabogade 34, 8200 Aarhus N, Denmark `pdmosses@brics.dk` Abstract. This chapter first explains the background and aims of CoFI, the Common Framework Initiative for algebraic specification and development of software. It then gives an overview of the main features of CASL, the Common Algebraic Specification Language. LNCS 2900, pp. 3 - 9 Full article in PDF lncs@springer.de © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2004