A Backend Extension Mechanism for PQL/Java with Free Run-Time Optimisation

Abstract. In many data processing tasks, declarative query programming offers substantial benefit over manual data analysis: the query processors found in declarative systems can use powerful algorithms such as query planning to choose high-level execution strategies during compilation. However, the principal downside of such languages is that their primitives must be carefully curated, to allow the query planner to correctly estimate their overhead. In this paper, we examine this challenge in one such system, PQL/Java. PQL/Java adds a powerful declarative query language to Java to enable and automatically parallelise queries over the Java heap. In the past, the language has not provided any support for custom user-designed datatypes, as such support requires complex interactions with its query planner and backend. We examine PQL/Java and its intermediate language in detail and describe a new system that simplifies PQL/Java extensions. This system provides a language that permits us...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2015
• Where: CC
• Authors: Hilmar Ackermann, Christoph Reichenbach, Christian Müller, Yannis Smaragdakis
• Keywords: CC 2015, System Software