Monad Transformers and Modular Interpreters

We show how a set of building blocks can be used to construct programming language interpreters, and present implementations of such building blocks capable of supporting many commonly known features, including simple expressions, three different function call mechanisms (call-by-name, callby-value and lazy evaluation), references and assignment, nondeterminism, first-class continuations, and program tracing. The underlying mechanism of our system is monad transa simple form of abstraction for introducing a wide range of computational behaviors, such as state, I/O, continuations, and exceptions. Our work is significant in the following respects. First, we have succeeded in designing a fully modular interpreter based on monad transformers that includes features missing from Steele’s, Espinosa’s, and Wadler’s earlier efforts. Second, we have found new ways to lift monad operations through monad transformers, in particular difficult cases not achieved in Moggi’s original work....

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1995
• Where: POPL
• Authors: Sheng Liang, Paul Hudak, Mark P. Jones
• Keywords: Building Blocks, Monad Transa, Monad Transformers, POPL 1995, Programming Languages