Algebraic specification of concurrency -- Objects and their specification -- The use of sorts in algebraic specifications -- Implementation and behavioural equivalence: A survey -- Relationships between logical frameworks -- Label algebras: A systematic use of terms -- How to specify non determinism and true concurrency with algebraic term nets -- Bounded implementation of algebraic specifications -- New concepts of amalgamation and extension for a general theory of specifications -- Nonequivalence of categories for equational algebraic specifications -- Process semantics of temporal logic specification -- The object-based specification language ?: concepts, syntax, and semantics -- Specifications with observable formulae and observational satisfaction relation -- Event logic for specifying abstract dynamic data types -- A soft stairway to institutions -- Generic classes in an object-based language.

The algebraic specification of abstract data types has been a flourishing research topic in computer science since 1974. The main goal of this work isto evolve theoretical foundations and a methodology to support the design and formal development of reliable software. This volume gives the proceedings of the Eighth Workshop on Specification of Abstract Data Types, held jointly with the Third COMPASS workshop near Paris in August 1991. The main topics covered by the joint workshop are: - specification languagesand program development - algebraic specification of concurrency - theorem proving - object-oriented specifications - order-sorted algebras - abstract implementation and behavioral semantics. The volume contains four invited surveys and twelve contributed papers, all of which underwent a careful refereeing process.