Abstract: A system and method for software development and in particular runtime program verification. The system is capable of monitoring a computer program and maintaining an abstracted model of the computer program using an agent which monitors a plurality of execution points in the program during the running of the computer program. The abstract model of the computer program is updated upon execution of the computer program at at least one of the execution points. The agent may also be adapted to detect a pattern in the abstracted model and issue an alert upon detection of the pattern.