Skip to main content

An Overview of the Poly Programming Language

  • Conference paper

Part of the book series: Topics in Information Systems ((TINF))

Abstract

Poly is a general purpose programming language based on the idea of treating types as first-class values. It can support polymorphic operations by passing types as parameters to procedures, and abstract types and parameterised types by returning types as results.

Although Poly is not intended specifically as a database programming language it was convenient to implement it in a persistent storage system. This allows the user to retain data structures from one session to the next and can support large programming systems such as the Poly compiler and a Standard ML system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Atkinson, M.P., Chisholm, K., and Cockshott, P., PS-Algol, an Algol With a Persistent Heap, Internal Report, CSR-94–81, University of Edinburgh, Dept. of Computer Science, Edinburgh, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Atkinson, M.P., Bailey, P.J., Cockshott, W.P., Chisholm, K.J., and Morrison, R., Progress with Persistent Programming, Technical Report PPR-8–81, Computer Science Dept., University of Edinburgh.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Cardelli, L., and D. MacQueen, Persistence and Type Abstraction, Proc. of the Persistence and Data Types Workshop, Appin, Scotland, August, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Demers, A., and Donahue, J., Revised Report on Russell, TR 79–389, Dept. of Computer Science, Cornell University.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Fairbairn, J., A New Type-Checker for a Functional Language, In Proc. 1985 Persistence and Data Types Workshop, Appin, Scotland, August 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Harper, R., Modules and Persistence in Standard ML, In Proc. 1985 Persistence and Data Types Workshop, Appin, Scotland, August 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Matthews, D.C.M., An Overview of the Poly Programming Language, Proc. of the Persistence and Data Types Workshop, Appin, Scotland, August, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Milner, R., A proposal for Standard ML, In Proc. of the 1984 ACM Symposium on Lisp and Functional Programming, Austin, Texas, August 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Mitchell, J.G. et al., MESA Language Manual, XEROX PARC, 1979

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Matthews, D.C.J. (1988). An Overview of the Poly Programming Language. In: Atkinson, M.P., Buneman, P., Morrison, R. (eds) Data Types and Persistence. Topics in Information Systems. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61556-6_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-61556-6_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-64870-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-61556-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics