The Functional Power of Parameter Passage Mechanisms.
Adrienne Critcher:
The Functional Power of Parameter Passage Mechanisms.
POPL 1979: 158-168@inproceedings{DBLP:conf/popl/Critcher79,
author = {Adrienne Critcher},
title = {The Functional Power of Parameter Passage Mechanisms},
booktitle = {POPL},
year = {1979},
pages = {158-168},
ee = {db/conf/popl/Critcher79.html},
bibsource = {DBLP, http://dblp.uni-trier.de}
}
BibTeX
Abstract
The effects of parameter transmission to recursive procedures have been investigated widely (e. g. in [2], [5], [6], [7], [8], [10], [12], [13]) and have been shown to be a consideration in such diverse topics as program verification ([2]), hardware design ([ 13]), and the use of the fix point rule of computation ([5], [6], [10]).
It is the case in most of the works cited above that the effects of only one or two mechanisms for parameter transmission are at issue, prompting us to question whether or not there exist other parameter passage mechanisms which would be as powerful as the original mechanism but have fewer effects to be considered in conjunction with other language features.
Motivated by this same line of questioning, Snyder [14] undertook a comparative analysis of several well- known parameter passage mechanisms using the techniques of comparative schematology [11] in program schemata.
Using these techniques on simpIe program schemes (no arrays) whose actual parameters can be arbitrary expressions, Snyder has shown call by value, copy, and reference all to be equivalent but each weaker than call by name.
Snyder assumes all basic functions and predicates to be total.
Also using the techniques of comparative schematology, but on program schemes which are augmented with finite dynamically- allocated arrays, whose actual parameters can be arbitrary expressions including arrays and array cells, and whose basic functions and predicates are partial, Leinbaugh [9] has shown that call by value, copy (termed value/ result), and reference are all equivalent but each conjectured to be weaker than call by name.
When an index equality test (an equality test on array indices) is added to the schemes, all the parameter passage mechanisms are shown to be equivalent.
(In addition, when the index equality test is allowed Leinbaugh shows that his finite arrays are as powerful as the infinite arrays introduced by Constable and Gries [3], but the relationship is not established when the index equality test is removed, even when basic functions and predicates are total.)
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Conference Record of the Sixth Annual ACM Symposium on Principles of Programming Languages, San Antonio, Texas, January 1979.
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Copyright © Sat May 16 23:34:35 2009
by Michael Ley (ley@uni-trier.de)
