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The Racket virtual machine and randomized testing

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Higher-Order and Symbolic Computation

Abstract

We present a PLT Redex model of a substantial portion of the Racket virtual machine and bytecode verifier (formerly known as MzScheme), along with lessons learned in developing the model. Inspired by the “warts-and-all” approach of the VLISP project, in which Wand et al. produced a verified implementation of Scheme, our model reflects many of the realities of a production system. Our methodology departs from the VLISP project’s in its approach to validation; instead of producing a proof of correctness, we explore the use of QuickCheck-style randomized testing, finding it a cheap and effective technique for discovering a variety of errors in the model—from simple typos to more fundamental design mistakes.

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Notes

  1. Such right-hand sides can be used to construct cyclic data structures. For example, the following defines an infinite stream of ones, abstracted over the implementation of cons.

    This expression compiles to the following bytecode:

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Acknowledgements

We thank John Reppy and the anonymous HOSC reviewers for their helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA

    Casey Klein & Robert Bruce Findler

  2. School of Computing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA

    Matthew Flatt

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  1. Casey Klein
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  2. Matthew Flatt
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  3. Robert Bruce Findler
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Robert Bruce Findler.

Additional information

Work by C. Klein partly conducted at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.

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Klein, C., Flatt, M. & Findler, R.B. The Racket virtual machine and randomized testing. Higher-Order Symb Comput 25, 209–253 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10990-013-9091-1

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