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Assignments for applicative languages

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Book cover Functional Programming Languages and Computer Architecture (FPCA 1991)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 523))

Abstract

We propose a theoretical framework for adding assignments and dynamic data to functional languages without violating their semantic properties. This differs from semifunctional languages like Scheme and ML in that values of expressions remain static and side-effect-free. A new form of abstraction called observer is designed to encapsulate state-oriented computation from the remaining purely applicative computation. The type system ensures that observers are combined linearly, allowing an implementation in terms of a global store. The utility of this extension is in manipulating shared dynamic data embedded in data structures. Evaluation of well-typed programs is Church-Rosser. Thus, programs produce the same results whether an eager or lazy evaluation order is used (assuming termination). A simple, sound logic permits reasoning about well-typed programs. The benefits of this work include greater expressive power and efficiency (compared to applicative languages), while retaining simplicity of reasoning.

Supported by NASA grant NAG-1-613 (while at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign).

Supported by a grant from Motorola Corporation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The MITRE Corporation, Burlington Road, 01730, Bedford, MA

    Vipin Swarup

  2. Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 61801, Urbana, IL

    Uday S. Reddy

  3. School of Information Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    Evan Ireland

Authors
  1. Vipin Swarup
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  2. Uday S. Reddy
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  3. Evan Ireland
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John Hughes

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© 1991 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Swarup, V., Reddy, U.S., Ireland, E. (1991). Assignments for applicative languages. In: Hughes, J. (eds) Functional Programming Languages and Computer Architecture. FPCA 1991. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 523. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3540543961_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3540543961_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-54396-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-47599-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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