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How to control unfolding when specializing interpreters

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Abstract

An interpreter can be viewed as performing two tasks: parsing and execution. Interpreters are specialized by partially evaluating the parsing activity while leaving the execution component as residue. We give a procedure for identifying goals that participate in the parsing process and present rules for unfolding these goals. The unfolding rules are independent of the object-program being compiled and can be generated by a one-time inspection of an interpreter. This makes specializing interpreters a practical technique for compiling programs.

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Author notes

  1. Arun Lakhotia

    Present address: The Center for Advanced Computer Studies, University of Southwestern, LA70504, Louisiana, Lafayette

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Engineering and Science, Case Western Reserve University, 44106, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Arun Lakhotia & Leon Sterling

Authors
  1. Arun Lakhotia
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  2. Leon Sterling
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Lakhotia, A., Sterling, L. How to control unfolding when specializing interpreters. New Gener Comput 8, 61–70 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03037513

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03037513

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