In: EATCS Bulletin, Vol. 62, pages 106-114. June 1997.
Abstract: The concept of abstract data types is one of the fundamental concepts for software system specification. Although Petri nets have been used with success for the specification of various kinds of software and communication systems, there is no abstraction concept for Petri nets similar to abstract data types up to now. In this paper we propose a new concept for Petri nets similar to abstract process types, for this purpose. We discuss the idea of abstract process types based on the new concept of open processes. This is an abstraction of Petri net processes which includes designated interface places with autonomous actions caused by the environment. The new concepts are illustrated by some well-known examples of place/transition and algebraic high-level nets. The formalization of these concepts is subject of a forthcoming paper.
Keywords: abstract data types, abstract process types, Petri nets, open processes, Petri net process abstraction.