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One-pass transformations of attributed program trees

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Summary

The classical attribute grammar framework can be extended by allowing the specification of tree transformation rules. A tree transformation rule consists of an input template, an output template, enabling conditions which are predicates on attribute instances of the input template, and re-evaluation rules which define the values of attribute instances of the output template. A tree transformation may invalidate attribute instances which are needed for additional transformations.

In this paper we investigate whether consecutive tree transformations and attribute re-evaluations are safely possible during a single pass over the derivation tree. This check is made at compiler generation time rather than at compilation time.

A graph theoretic characterization of attribute dependencies is given, showing in which cases the recomputation of attribute instances can be done in parallel with tree transformations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Informatics, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, NL-7500, AE Enschede, The Netherlands

    Henk Alblas

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  1. Henk Alblas
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Part of this work was done while the author was visiting Tartan Laboratories Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, USA

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Alblas, H. One-pass transformations of attributed program trees. Acta Informatica 24, 299–352 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00265992

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00265992

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