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International Conference on Mathematical Foundations of Programming Semantics

MFPS 1985: Mathematical Foundations of Programming Semantics pp 1–19Cite as

Standard, storeless semantics for ALGOL-style block structure and call-by-name

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 239))

Abstract

This paper presents a formulation for the standard semantics of block structure and ALGOL 60 style call-by-name. The main features of this formulation are the use of continuations and streams. Continuations are used in such a way that the semantics can be defined without requiring the idea of an explicit store. Thus the concepts of address or L- and R- values are not used, and simple continuations suffice for describing assignments, iterative control statements, compounds, blocks, and functions using call by value. (Side effects are still allowed via assignments to variables global to functions.) Call-by-name is handled by introducing the idea of multiple continuations. Input-output is treated by using streams. In conjunction with continuations, these allow the formulation of program “pipes” exactly like compound functions.

Research supported (in part) by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number DCR84-05241.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Research Lab, Tektronix, Inc., 97077, Beaverton, Oregon

    S. Kamal Abdali

  2. Computer Science Department, Indiana University, 47405, Bloomington, Indiana

    David S. Wise

Authors
  1. S. Kamal Abdali
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  2. David S. Wise
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Editor information

Austin Melton

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© 1986 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Abdali, S.K., Wise, D.S. (1986). Standard, storeless semantics for ALGOL-style block structure and call-by-name. In: Melton, A. (eds) Mathematical Foundations of Programming Semantics. MFPS 1985. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 239. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-16816-8_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-16816-8_22

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-16816-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-44861-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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