Abstract
We introduce MetaML, a statically-typed multi-stage programming language extending Nielson and Nielson's two stage notation to an arbitrary number of stages. MetaML extends previous work by introducing four distinct staging annotations which generalize those published previously [25, 12, 7, 6]We give a static semantics in which type checking is done once and for all before the first stage, and a dynamic semantics which introduces a new concept of cross-stage persistence, which requires that variables available in any stage are also available in all future stages.We illustrate that staging is a manual form of binding time analysis. We explain why, even in the presence of automatic binding time analysis, explicit annotations are useful, especially for programs with more than two stages.A thesis of this paper is that multi-stage languages are useful as programming languages in their own right, and should support features that make it possible for programmers to write staged computations without significantly changing their normal programming style. To illustrate this we provide a simple three stage example, and an extended two-stage example elaborating a number of practical issues.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.