Tools and libraries to model and manipulate circular programs

This paper presents techniques to model circular lazy programs in a strict, purely functional setting. Circular lazy programs model any algorithm based on multiple traversals over a recursive data structure as a single traversal function. Such elegant and concise circular programs are defined in a (strict or lazy) functional language and they are transformed into efficient strict and deforested, multiple traversal programs by using attribute grammars-based techniques. Moreover, we use standard slicing techniques to slice such circular lazy programs. We have expressed these transformations as an Haskell library and two tools have been constructed: the HaCirctool that refactors Haskell lazy circular programs into strict ones, and the OCirctool that extends Ocaml with circular definitions allowing programmers to write circular programs in Ocaml notation, which are transformed into strict Ocaml programs before they are executed. The first benchmarks of the different implementations are presented and show that for algorithms relying on a large number of traversals the resulting strict, deforested programs are more efficient than the lazy ones, both in terms of runtime and memory consumption.(undefined

Shortcut fusion rules for the derivation of circular and higher-order programs

Functional programs often combine separate parts using intermediate data structures for communicating results. Programs so defined are modular, easier to understand and maintain, but suffer from inefficiencies due to the generation of those gluing data structures. To eliminate such redundant data structures, some program transformation techniques have been proposed. One such technique is shortcut fusion, and has been studied in the context of both pure and monadic functional programs. In this paper, we study several shortcut fusion extensions, so that, alternatively, circular or higher-order programs are derived. These extensions are also provided for effect-free programs and monadic ones. Our work results in a set of generic calculation rules, that are widely applicable, and whose correctness is formally established.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologi

Design, implementation and calculation of circular programs

Tese de doutoramento em Informática (ramo do Conhecimento Fundamentos da Computação)Circular programming is a powerful technique to express multiple traversal algorithms as a single traversal function in a lazy setting. Such a (virtual) circular program may contain circular definitions, that is, arguments of function calls that are also results of that same calls. Although circular definitions always induce non-termination under a strict evaluation mechanism, they can sometimes be immediately evaluated using a lazy evaluation strategy. The lazy engine is able to compute the right evaluation order, if that order exists. Indeed, using this style of circular programming, the programmer does not have to concern him/herself with the definition and the scheduling of the different traversal functions, since a single (traversal) function has to be defined. Moreover, because there is a single traversal function, the programmer does not have to define intermediate gluing data structures to convey values computed in one traversal and needed in following ones, either. In this Thesis, we present our studies on the design, implementation and calculation of circular programs. We start by developing techniques to transform circular programs into strict ones. Then, we introduce calculation rules to obtain circular programs from strict equivalents, both in the context of pure and monadic programming. Because we use calculation techniques we guarantee that the resulting circular programs are equivalent to the strict ones we start with. In this Thesis, we also perform a series of benchmarks comparing the running performances of circular programs and the programs we are able to derive from circular programs.A utilização de programas circulares na implementação de algoritmos de programação é uma técnica poderosa que permite, num paradigma lazy, implementar soluções que efectuam múltiplas travessias sobre uma ou mais estruturas de dados como um programa que efectua apenas uma travessia sobre uma única estrutura de dados. Num programa (virtualmente) circular podem ocorrer definições circulares, isto é, invocações de funções onde um argumento da invocação é, ao mesmo tempo, um resultado da mesma invocação. Embora este tipo de definições induza não terminação num paradigma estrito, a verdade é que, num paradigma lazy, elas podem ser desde logo executadas utilizando uma estratégia baseada em lazy evaluation: a máquina lazy é capaz de determinar o escalonamento correcto das computações, se ele existir. Na verdade, utilizando este método de programação, o(a) programador(a) não tem de definir nem de escalonar as diferentes travessias, uma vez que apenas uma função necessita de ser implementada. Para além disso, porque existe apenas função, e uma vez que essa função realiza apenas uma travessia, o(a) programador(a) também não é forçado a definir estruturas de dados intermédias para colar as diferentes travessias. Nesta Tese são apresentados os nossos estudos relativos ao desenho, implementação e cálculo de programas circulares. Começamos por desenvolver técnicas de transformação de programas circulares em programas estritos. Depois apresentamos regras de cálculo que permitem obter programas circulares a partir de estritos, equivalentes, tanto no contexto de funções puras como no contexto de funções monádicas. Uma vez que, neste trabalho, utilizamos técnicas de cálculo de programas, é possível garantir a correcção da transformação que propomos. Por fim, realizamos uma bateria de testes que permitem comparar a performance de programas circulares com a dos programas que derivamos a partir deles.Fundacão para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT)grant No. SFRH/BD/19186/200

Implementing Circularity Using Partial Evaluation

Abstract. Complex data dependencies can often be expressed concisely by defining a variable in terms of part of its own value. Such a circular reference can be naturally expressed in a lazy functional language or in an attribute grammar. In this paper, we consider circular references in the context of an imperative C-like language, by extending the language with a new construct, persistent variables. We show that an extension of partial evaluation can eliminate persistent variables, producing a staged C program. This approach has been implemented in the Tempo specializer for C programs, and has proven useful in the implementation of run-time specialization.