Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Generating Specialized Interpreters for Modular Structural Operational Semantics

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Logic-Based Program Synthesis and Transformation (LOPSTR 2013)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNTCS,volume 8901))

Abstract

Modular Structural Operational Semantics (MSOS) is a variant of Structural Operational Semantics (SOS). It allows language constructs to be specified independently, such that no reformulation of existing rules in an MSOS specification is required when a language is extended with new constructs and features.

Introducing the Prolog MSOS Tool, we recall how to synthesize executable interpreters from small-step MSOS specifications by compiling MSOS rules into Prolog clauses. Implementing the transitive closure of compiled small-step rules gives an executable interpreter in Prolog. In the worst case, such interpreters traverse each intermediate program term in its full depth, resulting in a significant overhead in each step.

We show how to transform small-step MSOS specifications into corresponding big-step specifications via a two-step specialization by internalizing the rules implementing the transitive closure in MSOS and ‘refocusing’ the small-step rules. Specialized specifications result in generated interpreters with significantly reduced interpretive overhead.

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

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight 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

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Aho, A.V., Ullman, J.D.: The theory of parsing, translation, and compiling. Prentice-Hall, Inc. (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bach Poulsen, C., Mosses, P.D.: Deriving pretty-big-step semantics from small-step semantics. In: Shao, Z. (ed.) ESOP 2014 (ETAPS). LNCS, vol. 8410, pp. 270–289. Springer, Heidelberg (2014)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Chalub, F., Braga, C.: Maude MSOS tool. ENTCS 176(4), 133–146 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Charguéraud, A.: Pretty-big-step semantics. In: Felleisen, M., Gardner, P. (eds.) Programming Languages and Systems. LNCS, vol. 7792, pp. 41–60. Springer, Heidelberg (2013)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  5. Churchill, M., Mosses, P.D.: Modular bisimulation theory for computations and values. In: Pfenning, F. (ed.) FOSSACS 2013 (ETAPS 2013). LNCS, vol. 7794, pp. 97–112. Springer, Heidelberg (2013)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  6. Clavel2008maudemanual Clavel, M., Durán, F., Eker, S., Lincoln, P., Martí-Oliet, N., Meseguer, J., Talcott, C.: Maude manual (version 2.6) (2008). http://maude.cs.uiuc.edu/maude2-manual/

  7. Clement, D., Despeyroux, J., Despeyroux, T., Hascoet, L., Kahn, G.: Natural semantics on the computer. Research Report RR-0416, INRIA (1985)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Danvy, O.: From reduction-based to reduction-free normalization. In: Koopman, P., Plasmeijer, R., Swierstra, D. (eds.) AFP 2008. LNCS, vol. 5832, pp. 66–164. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  9. Danvy, O., Nielsen, L.R.: Refocusing in reduction semantics. BRICS Research Series RS-04-26, Dept. of Computer Science, Aarhus University (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Gallagher, J.P.: Tutorial on specialisation of logic programs. In: PEPM 1993, pp. 88–98. ACM (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Gupta, G.: Horn logic denotations and their applications. In: Apt, K.R., Marek, V.W., Truszczynski, M., Warren, D.S. (eds.) The Logic Programming Paradigm. Artificial Intelligence, pp. 127–159. Springer, Heidelberg (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Leuschel, M., Jorgensen, J., Vanhoof, W., Bruynooghe, M.: Offline specialisation in Prolog using a hand-written compiler generator. TPLP 4(1), 139–191 (2004)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  13. Lloyd, J.W., Shepherdson, J.C.: Partial evaluation in logic programming. J. Log. Program. 11(3–4), 217–242 (1991)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  14. Mosses, P.D.: Foundations of Modular SOS. BRICS Research Series RS-99-54, Dept. of Computer Science, Aarhus University (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Mosses, P.D.: Pragmatics of Modular SOS. In: Kirchner, H., Ringeissen, C. (eds.) AMAST 2002. LNCS, vol. 2422, pp. 21–40. Springer, Heidelberg (2002)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  16. Mosses, P.D.: Modular structural operational semantics. J. Log. Algebr. Program. 60–61, 195–228 (2004)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  17. Mosses, P.D.: Teaching semantics of programming languages with Modular SOS. In: Boca, P., Bowen, J.P., Duce, D.A. (eds.) TFM 2006. Electr. Workshops in Comput, BCS (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Mosses, P.D., Mousavi, M.R., Reniers, M.A.: Robustness of equations under operational extensions. In: Fröschle, S.B., Valencia, F.D. (eds.) EXPRESS 2010. EPTCS, vol. 41, pp. 106–120 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Mosses, P.D., New, M.J.: Implicit propagation in structural operational semantics. ENTCS 229(4), 49–66 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Pettersson, M. (ed.): Compiling Natural Semantics. LNCS, vol. 1549. Springer, Heidelberg (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Plotkin, G.D.: A structural approach to operational semantics. J. Log. Algebr. Program. 60–61, 17–139 (2004)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  22. Wang, Q., Gupta, G., Leuschel, M.: Towards provably correct code generation via horn logical continuation semantics. In: Hermenegildo, M.V., Cabeza, D. (eds.) PADL 2004. LNCS, vol. 3350, pp. 98–112. Springer, Heidelberg (2005)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK

    Casper Bach Poulsen & Peter D. Mosses

Authors
  1. Casper Bach Poulsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Peter D. Mosses
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Casper Bach Poulsen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas, USA

    Gopal Gupta

  2. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Peña

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

Bach Poulsen, C., Mosses, P.D. (2014). Generating Specialized Interpreters for Modular Structural Operational Semantics. In: Gupta, G., Peña, R. (eds) Logic-Based Program Synthesis and Transformation. LOPSTR 2013. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 8901. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14125-1_13

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14125-1_13

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-14124-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-14125-1

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation