Publications

Antonio Della Porta, Stefano Lambiase, Valeria Pontillo, João F. Ferreira, Akond A. Rahman, Chaiyong Ragkhitwetsagul, Fabio Palomba (2026). Understanding Prompt Quality and Its Relation to LLM-based Code Generation. In TSE 2026. Q1 journal.

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Isabel Amaral, Álvaro Silva, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes (2026). DafnyFix: Single-Transformation Automated Repair in Dafny. In APR 2026.

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Carlos Felgueiras, Luís W. Barbosa, Nuno Saavedra, Alexandra Mendes, João F. Ferreira (2026). Déjà Vu? Redundant Dependencies in Terraform. In CONFLANG 2026.

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Martim Monis, Martin Schwaighofer, Nuno Saavedra, Alexandra Mendes, Rene Mayrhofer, João F. Ferreira (2026). Vibenix: Agentic Software Packaging and Maintenance with Nix. Preprint under submission.

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Martim Afonso, Nuno Saavedra, Bruno Lourenço, Alexandra Mendes, João F. Ferreira (2026). ProfOlaf: Semi-Automated Tool for Systematic Literature Reviews. In FSE 2026, Tool Demonstrations Track. CORE A* conference.

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Carolina Carreira, Nuno Saavedra, Alexandra Mendes, João F. Ferreira (2026). The Ultimate Configuration Management Tool? Lessons from a Mixed Methods Study of Ansible's Challenges. In EASE 2026. CORE A conference.

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Ruben Opdebeeck, Mahmoud Alfadel, Akond Rahman, Yutaro Kashiwa, João F. Ferreira, Raula Gaikovina Kula, Coen De Roover (2026). An Empirical Study of Policy as Code: Adoption, Purpose, and Maintenance. In MSR 2026. CORE A conference.

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Martin Schwaighofer, Martim Monis, Nuno Saavedra, João F. Ferreira, Rene Mayrhofer (2026). Vibenix: An AI Assistant for Software Packaging with Nix. In LAST-X 2026.

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Carolina Carreira, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, Nicolas Christin (2025). Are Users More Willing to Use Formally Verified Password Managers?. In SEFM 2025. CORE B conference.

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Robert Thompson, Nuno Saavedra, Pedro Carrott, Kevin Fisher, Alex Sanchez-Stern, Yuriy Brun, João F. Ferreira, Sorin Lerner, Emily First (2025). Rango: Adaptive Retrieval-Augmented Proving for Automated Software Verification. In ICSE 2025. CORE A* conference.
🏆 ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper award.

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Nuno Saavedra, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes (2025). InfraFix: Technology-Agnostic Repair of Infrastructure as Code. In ISSTA 2025, Tool Demonstrations Track. CORE A conference.
🏆 Awarded: Artifact Evaluation Award (Reusable).

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Sogol Masoumzadeh, Nuno Saavedra, Rungroj Maipradit, Lili Wei, João F. Ferreira, Dániel Varró, Shane McIntosh (2025). Do Experts Agree About Smelly Infrastructure?. In TSE 2025. Q1 journal.

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David Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, João F. Ferreira, Carolina Carreira (2025). Contract Usage and Evolution in Android Mobile Applications. In ECOOP 2025. CORE A conference.

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Pedro Carrott, Nuno Saavedra, Robert Thompson, Sorin Lerner, João F. Ferreira, Emily First (2024). CoqPyt: Proof Navigation in Python in the Era of LLMs. In FSE 2024, Demonstrations Track. CORE A* conference.

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David Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, João F. Ferreira (2024). How are Contracts Used in Android Mobile Applications?. In ICSE 2024, Poster Paper. CORE A* conference.

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Monika di Angelo, Thomas Durieux, João F. Ferreira, Gernot Salzer (2024). Evolution of automated weakness detection in Ethereum bytecode: a comprehensive study. In EMSE, 29(2), pp. 1-44. Q1 Journal.

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Álvaro Silva, Alexandra Mendes, João F. Ferreira (2024). Leveraging Large Language Models to Boost Dafny's Developers Productivity. In FormaliSE 2024, co-located with ICSE 2024.

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Rui Lima, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, Carolina Carreira (2024). DifFuzzAR: automatic repair of timing side-channel vulnerabilities via refactoring. In Autom Softw Eng, 31(1), 2024. Q2 Journal.

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Monika di Angelo, Thomas Durieux, João F. Ferreira, Gernot Salzer (2023). SmartBugs 2.0: An Execution Framework for Weakness Detection in Ethereum Smart Contracts. In ASE 2023, Tool Demo Track. CORE A* conference.

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Nuno Saavedra, João Gonçalves, Miguel Henriques, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes (2023). Polyglot Code Smell Detection for Infrastructure as Code with GLITCH. In ASE 2023, Tool Demo Track. CORE A* conference.

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Henrique Botelho Guerra, João F. Ferreira, João Costa Seco (2023). Hoogle⋆: Constants and λ-abstractions in Petri-net-based Synthesis using Symbolic Execution. In ECOOP 2023. CORE A conference.
🏆 Awarded: Artifact Evaluation Award (Available and Reusable).

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André Silva, João F. Ferreira, He Ye, Martin Monperrus (2023). MUFIN: Improving Neural Repair Models with Back-Translation. Preprint under submission.

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Steve Dunne, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, Campbell Ritchie, Bill Stoddart, Frank Zeyda (2022). bGSL: An Imperative Language for Specification and Refinement of Backtracking Programs. In JLAMP. Q2 Journal.

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Nuno Saavedra, João F. Ferreira (2022). GLITCH: Automated Polyglot Security Smell Detection in Infrastructure as Code. In ASE 2022. CORE A* conference.
🏆 Awarded: Artifact Evaluation Award (Reusable).

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Ricardo Pereira, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, Rui Abreu (2022). Extending EcoAndroid with Automated Detection of Resource Leaks. In MobileSoft 2022, co-located with ICSE 2022.

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Miguel Grilo, João Campos, João F. Ferreira, José Bacelar Almeida, Alexandra Mendes (2022). Verified password generation from password composition policies. In iFM 2022. CORE B conference.
🏆 Invited to ACM Formal Aspects of Computing special issue on iFM 2022.

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Miguel Trinca, João F. Ferreira, Rui Abreu (2022). A Preliminary Study on Generating Well-Formed Q# Quantum Programs for Fuzz Testing. In AIST 2022.

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Ana Ribeiro, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes (2021). EcoAndroid: An Android Studio Plugin for Developing Energy-efficient Java Mobile Applications. In QRS 2021.

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João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, Claudio Menghi (2021). Formal Methods Teaching: 4th International Workshop and Tutorial (FMTea 2021). Conference Proceedings, Springer Nature.

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Carolina Carreira, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, Nicholas Christin (2021). Exploring Usable Security to Improve the Impact of Formal Verification: A Research Agenda. In AppFM 2021 published as a volume of EPTCS.

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Rui Lima, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes (2021). Automatic Repair of Java Code with Timing Side-Channel Vulnerabilities. In IWOR 2021.
🏆 Invited to ASE 2021 workshop best papers special issue published by the Springer Journal on Automated Software Engineering (see JASE 2024 extended paper).

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Carolina Carreira, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes (2021). Towards Improving the Usability of Password Managers. In INForum 2021.

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Julie Porteous, João F. Ferreira, Alan Lindsay, Marc Cavazza (2021). Automated narrative planning model extension. In Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, 35(2), pp.1-29. Q2 Journal.

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João F. Ferreira, Pedro Cruz, Thomas Durieux, Rui Abreu (2020). SmartBugs: A Framework to Analyze Solidity Smart Contracts. In ASE 2020, Tool Demo Track. CORE A* conference.

PDF Code Dataset Project

David Pereira, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes (2020). Evaluating the Accuracy of Password Strength Meters using Off-The-Shelf Guessing Attacks. In ISSREW 2020 (RSDA 2020).

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Thomas Durieux, João F. Ferreira, Rui Abreu, Pedro Cruz (2020). Empirical Review of Automated Analysis Tools on 47,587 Ethereum Smart Contracts. In ICSE 2020. CORE A* conference.
🏆 Awarded: Artifact Evaluation Award (Available, Reusable). Most cited paper from ICSE 2020 (Google Scholar Metrics).

PDF Code Dataset Project

Saul Johnson, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, Julien Cordry (2020). Skeptic: Automatic, Justified and Privacy-Preserving Password Composition Policy Selection. In AsiaCCS 2020. CORE A conference.

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Julie Porteous, João F. Ferreira, Alan Lindsay, Marc Cavazza (2020). Extending Narrative Planning Domains with Linguistic Resources. In AAMAS 2020. CORE A* conference.
🏆 Invited to journal publication by Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems (JAAMAS) (see JAAMAS 2021 extended paper).

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Thomas Hayton, Julie Porteous, João F. Ferreira, Alan Lindsay (2020). Narrative Planning Model Acquisition from Text Summaries and Descriptions. In AAAI 2020. CORE A* conference.

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João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes (2019). Open and Interactive Learning Resources for Algorithmic Problem Solving. In OpenCert 2019.

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Saul Johnson, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, Julien Cordry (2019). Lost in Disclosure: On The Inference of Password Composition Policies. In ISSREW 2019 (RSDA 2019).

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Tony Hoare, Alexandra Mendes, João F. Ferreira (2019). Logic, Algebra, and Geometry at the Foundation of Computer Science. In FMTea 2019.

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Mengda He, Viktor Vafeiadis, Shengchao Qin, João F. Ferreira (2018). GPS+: Reasoning About Fences and Relaxed Atomics. In IJPP, 46(6), pp.1157-1183.

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Alexandra Mendes, João F. Ferreira (2018). Towards Verified Handwritten Calculational Proofs. In ITP 2018. CORE A conference.

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Mengda He, Shengchao Qin, João F. Ferreira (2018). Towards a Program Logic for C11 Release-Sequences. In TASE 2018.

Jonathan Siddle, Alan Lindsay, João F. Ferreira, Julie Porteous, Jonathon Read, Fred Charles (2017). Visualization of Patient Behavior from Natural Language Recommendations. In K-CAP 2017. CORE A conference.

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Malcolm McNeely, Julie Porteous, João F. Ferreira, Alan Lindsay (2017). Towards a Constraints Approach to Generating Personalised Horror Film Variants. In COPLAS 2017.

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Thomas Hayton, Julie Porteous, João F. Ferreira, Alan Lindsay, Jonathon Read (2017). StoryFramer: From Input Stories to Output Planning Models. In KEPS 2017.

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Ali Almohammad, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, Phil White (2017). ReqCap: Hierarchical Requirements Modeling and Test Generation for Industrial Control Systems. In RET 2017.

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Alan Lindsay, Jonathon Read, João F. Ferreira, Thomas Hayton, Julie Porteous, Peter Gregory (2017). Framer: Planning Models from Natural Language Action Descriptions. In ICAPS 2017. CORE A* conference.

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João F. Ferreira, Saul Johnson, Alexandra Mendes, Phil Brooke (2017). Certified Password Quality: A Case Study Using Coq and Linux Pluggable Authentication Modules. In iFM 2017. CORE B conference.

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João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes (2016). A calculational approach to path-based properties of the Eisenstein-Stern and Stern-Brocot trees via matrix algebra. In JLAMP, 85(5), pp.906-920. Q2 Journal.

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Cindy Even, Anne-Gwenn Bosser, João F. Ferreira, Cédric Buche, Florian Stéphan, Marc Cavazza, Christine Lisetti (2016). Supporting Social Skills Rehabilitation with Virtual Storytelling. In FLAIRS 29.

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Mengda He, Viktor Vafeiadis, Shengchao Qin, João F. Ferreira (2016). Reasoning about Fences and Relaxed Atomics. In PDP 2016.

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Alexandra Mendes, Roland Backhouse, João F. Ferreira (2014). Structure Editing of Handwritten Mathematics: Improving the Computer Support for the Calculational Method. In ITS 2014. CORE A conference.

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João F. Ferreira, Cristian Gherghina, Guanhua He, Shengchao Qin, Wei-Ngan Chin (2014). Automated Verification of the FreeRTOS Scheduler in HIP/SLEEK. In STTT 16(4), pp. 381-397. Q2 Journal.

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João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes (2014). The Magic of Algorithm Design and Analysis: Teaching Algorithmic Skills using Magic Card Tricks. In ITiCSE 2014. CORE A conference.

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Chris Martens, João F. Ferreira, Anne-Gwenn Bosser, Marc Cavazza (2014). Generative Story Worlds as Linear Logic Programs. In INT7.

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Roland Backhouse, Wei Chen, João F. Ferreira (2013). The Algorithmics of Solitaire-Like Games (Extended Version). In SCP 78 (2013), pp. 2029-2046. Q2 Journal.

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Chris Martens, Anne-Gwenn Bosser, João F. Ferreira, Marc Cavazza (2013). Linear logic programming for narrative generation. In LPNMR 2013. CORE A conference.

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Yanhong Huang, João F. Ferreira, Guanhua He, Shengchao Qin, Jifeng He (2013). Deadline analysis of AUTOSAR OS periodic tasks in the presence of interrupts. In ICFEM 2013. CORE B conference.

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João F. Ferreira, Guanhua He, Shengchao Qin (2012). Automated Verification of the FreeRTOS Scheduler in HIP/SLEEK. In TASE 2012.
🏆 Invited for publication in International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer.

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Roland Backhouse, João F. Ferreira (2011). On Euclid's Algorithm and Elementary Number Theory. In SCP 76(3), pp. 160-180. Q1 Journal.

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João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, Alcino Cunha, Carlos Baquero, Paulo Silva, Luis Soares Barbosa, José Nuno Oliveira (2011). Logic Training through Algorithmic Problem Solving. In TICTTL 2011.

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João F. Ferreira (2010). Principles and Applications of Algorithmic Problem Solving. PhD Thesis.

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Roland Backhouse, Wei Chen, João F. Ferreira (2010). The Algorithmics of Solitaire-Like Games. In MPC 2010 (Invited Paper).
🏆 Invited for publication in Special Issue by Science of Computer Programming.

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João F. Ferreira (2010). Designing an Algorithmic Proof of the Two-Squares Theorem. In MPC 2010. CORE B conference.

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João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes, Roland Backhouse, Luis Soares Barbosa (2009). Which Mathematics for the Information Society?. In TFM 2009.

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João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes (2009). Students' Feedback on Teaching Mathematics Through The Calculational Method. In FiE 2009.

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João F. Ferreira (2008). JFF7: An exercise from "The Art of Computer Programming". Technical report (JFF series).

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Roland Backhouse, João F. Ferreira (2008). Recounting the Rationals: Twice!. In MPC 2008. CORE B conference.
🏆 Invited for publication in Special Issue by Science of Computer Programming.

PDF Code Project Slides

João F. Ferreira (2008). JFF6: Resolução eficaz de problemas, quatro exemplos. Technical report (JFF series).

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João F. Ferreira (2007). JFF1: Exchanging the values of two variables. Technical report (JFF series).

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João F. Ferreira (2006). JFF0: Distributivity and the greatest common divisor. Technical report (JFF series).

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João F. Ferreira, J. L. Sobral, A. J. Proença (2006). JaSkel: A Java Skeleton-Based Framework for Structured Cluster and Grid Computing. In CCGrid 2006. CORE A conference.

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João F. Ferreira (2005). A contribution towards a Distributed Java Virtual Machine. Technical report (PPC-VM project).

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João F. Ferreira, J. L. Sobral (2005). ParC#: Parallel Computing with C# in .NET. In PaCT 2005. CORE A conference.

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Joost Visser, José Nuno Oliveira, João F. Ferreira, Alexandra Mendes (2005). Camila Revival: VDM meets Haskell. In Overture Workshop 2005.

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