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Increasing the Level of Abstraction in Traditional Functional Languages by Using Compile-time Reflection

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Algebraic Methodology and Software Technology (AMAST’93)

Part of the book series: Workshops in Computing ((WORKSHOPS COMP.))

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Abstract

Abstraction is the key to reuse in software technology. Traditional functional languages support greater levels of abstraction than imperative languages, yet cannot express certain new kinds of abstraction recently identified. In this paper we report on a simple technique we call Compile-time Reflection and show how this technique can be added to traditional functional languages by the addition of an explicit user programmable phase distinction in their compilation. This distinction implements the 2-level λ-Calculus of Nielson and Nielson[11], and supports the algebraic approach to programming exemplified in the Squigol school of programming, all in a traditional functional language.

Tim Sheard is supported in part by a grant from OACIS and Tektronix

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oregon Graduate Institute of Science & Technology, Beaverton, Oregon, USA

    Tim Sheard

Authors
  1. Tim Sheard
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. LITP, Université Paris VII, 2 Place Jussieu, 75251, Paris-Cedex 05, France

    Maurice Nivat

  2. Department of Computing Science, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK

    Charles Rattray BSc, MSc, FIMA, FBCS, C.Eng., C.Math.

  3. Department of Computer Science, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA

    Teodor Rus PhD

  4. Fac. Informatica, University of Twente, PO Box 217, NL-7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Giuseppe Scollo PhD

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© 1994 British Computer Society

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Sheard, T. (1994). Increasing the Level of Abstraction in Traditional Functional Languages by Using Compile-time Reflection. In: Nivat, M., Rattray, C., Rus, T., Scollo, G. (eds) Algebraic Methodology and Software Technology (AMAST’93). Workshops in Computing. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3227-1_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3227-1_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-19852-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-3227-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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