Polymorphic bytecode: compositional compilation for Java-like languages

We define compositional compilation as the ability to typecheck source code fragments in isolation, generate corresponding binaries, and link together fragments whose mutual assumptions are satisfied, without reinspecting the code. Even though compositional compilation is a highly desirable feature, in Java-like languages it can hardly be achieved. This is due to the fact that the bytecode generated for a fragment (say, a class) is not uniquely determined by its source code, but also depends on the compilation context. We propose a way to obtain compositional compilation for Java, by introducing a polymorphic form of bytecode containing type variables (ranging over class names) and equipped with a set of constraints involving type variables. Thus, polymorphic bytecode provides a representation for all the (standard) bytecode that can be obtained by replacing type variables with classes satisfying the associated constraints. We illustrate our proposal by developing a typing and a linki...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: POPL
• Authors: Davide Ancona, Ferruccio Damiani, Sophia Drossopoulou, Elena Zucca
• Keywords: Compositional Compilation, POPL 2005, Processors--incremental Compilers Permission, Programming Languages, Type Variables