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Directly reflective meta-programming

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Higher-Order and Symbolic Computation

Abstract

Existing meta-programming languages operate on encodings of programs as data. This paper presents a new meta-programming language, based on an untyped lambda calculus, in which structurally reflective programming is supported directly, without any encoding. The language features call-by-value and call-by-name lambda abstractions, as well as novel reflective features enabling the intensional manipulation of arbitrary program terms. The language is scope safe, in the sense that variables can neither be captured nor escape their scopes. The expressiveness of the language is demonstrated by showing how to implement quotation and evaluation operations, as proposed by Wand. The language’s utility for meta-programming is further demonstrated through additional representative examples. A prototype implementation is described and evaluated.

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  1. Computer Science and Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA

    Aaron Stump

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  1. Aaron Stump
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Correspondence to Aaron Stump.

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This work is supported by funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation under award CCF-0448275. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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Stump, A. Directly reflective meta-programming. Higher-Order Symb Comput 22, 115–144 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10990-007-9022-0

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