Continuation-passing style, defunctionalization, accumulations, and associativity
<p><strong>Context:</strong> Reynolds showed us how to use continuation-passing style and defunctionalization to transform a recursive interpreter for a language into an abstract machine for programs in that language. The same techniques explain other programming tricks, including...
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSA, Inc.
2021
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| _version_ | 1826307642554843136 |
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| author | Gibbons, J |
| author_facet | Gibbons, J |
| author_sort | Gibbons, J |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <p><strong>Context:</strong> Reynolds showed us how to use continuation-passing style and defunctionalization to transform a recursive interpreter for a language into an abstract machine for programs in that language. The same techniques explain other programming tricks, including zippers and accumulating parameters.</p>
<p><strong>Inquiry:</strong> Buried within all those applications there is usually a hidden appeal to the algebraic property of associativity. Approach: Our purpose in this paper is to entice associativity out of the shadows and into the limelight.</p>
<p><strong>Knowledge:</strong> We revisit some well-known applications (factorial, fast reverse, tree flattening, and a compiler for a simple expression language) to spotlight their dependence on associativity.</p>
<p><strong>Grounding:</strong> We replay developments of these programs through a series of program transformations and data refinements, justified by equational reasoning.</p>
<p><strong>Importance:</strong> Understanding the crucial role played by associativity clarifies when continuation-passing style and defunctionalization can help and when they cannot, and may prompt other applications of these techniques.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:06:13Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:6e2d6de6-b01f-4263-bf12-3568bc3d8df0 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:06:13Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | AOSA, Inc. |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:6e2d6de6-b01f-4263-bf12-3568bc3d8df02022-05-13T10:31:48ZContinuation-passing style, defunctionalization, accumulations, and associativityJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:6e2d6de6-b01f-4263-bf12-3568bc3d8df0EnglishSymplectic ElementsAOSA, Inc.2021Gibbons, J<p><strong>Context:</strong> Reynolds showed us how to use continuation-passing style and defunctionalization to transform a recursive interpreter for a language into an abstract machine for programs in that language. The same techniques explain other programming tricks, including zippers and accumulating parameters.</p> <p><strong>Inquiry:</strong> Buried within all those applications there is usually a hidden appeal to the algebraic property of associativity. Approach: Our purpose in this paper is to entice associativity out of the shadows and into the limelight.</p> <p><strong>Knowledge:</strong> We revisit some well-known applications (factorial, fast reverse, tree flattening, and a compiler for a simple expression language) to spotlight their dependence on associativity.</p> <p><strong>Grounding:</strong> We replay developments of these programs through a series of program transformations and data refinements, justified by equational reasoning.</p> <p><strong>Importance:</strong> Understanding the crucial role played by associativity clarifies when continuation-passing style and defunctionalization can help and when they cannot, and may prompt other applications of these techniques.</p> |
| spellingShingle | Gibbons, J Continuation-passing style, defunctionalization, accumulations, and associativity |
| title | Continuation-passing style, defunctionalization, accumulations, and associativity |
| title_full | Continuation-passing style, defunctionalization, accumulations, and associativity |
| title_fullStr | Continuation-passing style, defunctionalization, accumulations, and associativity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Continuation-passing style, defunctionalization, accumulations, and associativity |
| title_short | Continuation-passing style, defunctionalization, accumulations, and associativity |
| title_sort | continuation passing style defunctionalization accumulations and associativity |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gibbonsj continuationpassingstyledefunctionalizationaccumulationsandassociativity |