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Static type analysis of prolog procedures for ensuring correctness

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Programming Language Implementation and Logic Programming (PLILP 1990)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 456))

Abstract

A method for deducing type properties at each execution point of a Prolog procedure is proposed. Such properties allow to detect at compile-time inconsistent calls, i.e. whose arguments don't respect some type preconditions.

Our method differs from most usual abstract interpretation frameworks, which are more code optimization-oriented. First, the procedure is analysed without the code of its subprocedures. Instead, formal specifications in form of pre-post conditions are associated to each subprocedures.

Another difference concerns the way types (collection of terms) are handled by our Analyser. There is no fixed type system. Any type can be freely defined by means of a fixed set of primitive operations. The main operations of the Analyser are completely defined upon these primitives.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut d'Informatique, Facultés Universitaires N.D.P. Namur, 5000, Namur, Belgium

    Pierre De Boeck & Baudouin Le Charlier

Authors
  1. Pierre De Boeck
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  2. Baudouin Le Charlier
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Pierre Deransart Jan Maluszyński

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© 1990 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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De Boeck, P., Charlier, B.L. (1990). Static type analysis of prolog procedures for ensuring correctness. In: Deransart, P., Maluszyński, J. (eds) Programming Language Implementation and Logic Programming. PLILP 1990. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 456. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0024187

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0024187

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-53010-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-46298-9

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