Data abstraction: A static implementation strategy

ABSTRACT

A description of the implementation of the data abstraction mechanism for the Model programming language is discussed. The Model programming language utilizes a “static” approach to data abstraction in that abstract concepts are expanded by early phases of the compiler in a controlled fashion into base language concepts. Thus, the final phase of the compiler sees only base language constructions. Exemplified are generic procedures accepting parameters of several different data types. A discussion is given of the problem of “parameter explosion”, a problem traditionally inherent in languages implementing open (inline) procedures.

REFERENCES

• 1: Forest Baskett , John H. Howard , John T. Montague, Task communication in DEMOS, Proceedings of the sixth ACM symposium on Operating systems principles, p.23-31, November 16-18, 1977, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
• 2: Dahl, O. J., Myhrhaug, B., and Nygaard, K. The SIMULA 67 Common Base Language. Publication S-22, Norwegian Computing Center, Oslo, 1970.
• 3: Habermann, N. Critical Comments on the Programming Language Pascal. Acta Informatica 3 (1973), 47-57.
• 4: Robert T. Johnson , James B. Morris, Abstract data types in the Model programming language, Proceedings of the 1976 conference on Data : Abstraction, definition and structure, p.36-46, March 22-24, 1976, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
• 5: Barbara Liskov , Alan Snyder , Russell Atkinson , Craig Schaffert, Abstraction mechanisms in CLU, Proceedings of an ACM conference on Language design for reliable software, p.140, March 28-30, 1977, Raleigh, North Carolina
• 6: Morris, J. B. Programming by Successive Refinement of Data Abstractions, submitted for publication.
• 7: J. W. Backus , F. L. Bauer , J. Green , C. Katz , J. McCarthy , A. J. Perlis , H. Rutishauser , K. Samelson , B. Vauquois , J. H. Wegstein , A. van Wijngaarden , M. Woodger , P. Naur, Revised report on the algorithm language ALGOL 60, Communications of the ACM, v.6 n.1, p.1-17, Jan. 1963 [doi>10.1145/366193.366201]
• 8: Palme, J. Protected Program Modules in SIMULA 67. National Defense Research Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, July, 1973.
• 9: Michael L. Powell, The DEMOS file system, Proceedings of the sixth ACM symposium on Operating systems principles, p.33-42, November 16-18, 1977, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
• 10: Robert W. Scheifler, An analysis of inline substitution for a structured programming language, Communications of the ACM, v.20 n.9, p.647-654, Sept. 1977 [doi>10.1145/359810.359830]
• 11: Welsh, J., Sneeringer, W. J. and Hoare, C.A.R. Ambiguities and Insecurities in Pascal. Software Practice and Experience 7, 6 (November-December 1977), 685-696.
• 12: Wirth, N. The Programming Language PASCAL. Acta Informatica 1 (1971), 35-63.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
        D.2.11 Software Architectures
            Subjects: Data abstraction

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

General Terms:
Languages

Keywords:
Abstract data type, Data type, Generic procedure, Inline procedure, Open procedure, Programming languages