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Software Engineering Foundations of Zoetic Data and Totally Functional Programming

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Evaluation of Novel Approaches to Software Engineering (ENASE 2016)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 703))

Abstract

Traditional higher-order functional programming is validated by how its logical conclusion in the shape of a “Totally Functional” style is consistent with and indeed determined by some fundamental principles of Software Engineering. The key to Totally Functional Programming is the notion of “zoetic” representations of data which embody the behaviours that we hypothesise to underlie all conventional symbolic datatypes. These representations minimise the interpretation of symbolic data at each use, and thus embody the principle of reuse. Further, we develop a scheme for formal synthesis of generator functions for zoetic data which entirely avoid the need for a separate interpretation stage. This avoidance allows us to achieve a clear separation of concerns between the creation of zoetic data objects on the one hand and their use in various applications on the other. Zoetic data are thus validated as the key enablers of the fulfilment of functional programming in its “Totally Functional” manifestation, firmly grounded in the language design consequences of software engineering principles.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge our various colleagues’ contributions over the years to our ongoing work reflected here, especially those of Leighton Brough. Also, Tim Westcott, William Woodward and Khoa Tran made useful contributions to the implementation of the Zoe language prototypes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of ITEE, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, 4072, Australia

    Paul Bailes & Colin Kemp

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  1. Paul Bailes
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  2. Colin Kemp
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Correspondence to Paul Bailes .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Wrocław University of Economics, Wrocław, Poland

    Leszek A. Maciaszek

  2. INSTICC and Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal, Setúbal, Portugal

    Joaquim Filipe

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Bailes, P., Kemp, C. (2016). Software Engineering Foundations of Zoetic Data and Totally Functional Programming. In: Maciaszek, L., Filipe, J. (eds) Evaluation of Novel Approaches to Software Engineering. ENASE 2016. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 703. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56390-9_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56390-9_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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