Meta-F ^\star : Proof Automation with SMT, Tactics, and Metaprograms

Abstract

We introduce Meta-F $$^{\star }$$ , a tactics and metaprogramming framework for the F $$^\star $$ program verifier. The main novelty of Meta-F $$^\star $$ is allowing the use of tactics and metaprogramming to discharge assertions not solvable by SMT, or to just simplify them into well-behaved SMT fragments. Plus, Meta-F $$^\star $$ can be used to generate verified code automatically. Meta-F $$^\star $$ is implemented as an F $$^\star $$ effect, which, given the powerful effect system of F $$^{\star }$$ , heavily increases code reuse and even enables the lightweight verification of metaprograms. Metaprograms can be either interpreted, or compiled to efficient native code that can be dynamically loaded into the F $$^\star $$ type-checker and can interoperate with interpreted code. Evaluation on realistic case studies shows that Meta-F $$^\star $$ provides substantial gains in proof development, efficiency, and robustness.