PolyAML: a polymorphic aspect-oriented functional programming language

This paper defines PolyAML, a typed functional, aspect-oriented programming language. The main contribution of PolyAML is the seamless integration of polymorphism, run-time type analysis and aspect-oriented programming language features. In particular, PolyAML allows programmers to define type-safe polymorphic advice using pointcuts constructed from a collection of polymorphic join points. PolyAML also comes equipped with a type inference algorithm that conservatively extends Hindley-Milner type inference. To support first-class polymorphic point-cut designators, a crucial feature for developing aspect-oriented profiling or logging libraries, the algorithm blends the conventional Hindley-Milner type inference algorithm with a simple form of local type inference. We give our language operational meaning via a type-directed translation into an expressive type-safe intermediate language. Many complexities of the source language are eliminated in this translation, leading to a modular spe...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: ICFP
• Authors: Daniel S. Dantas, David Walker, Geoffrey Washburn, Stephanie Weirich
• Keywords: Hindley-Milner Type Inference, ICFP 2005, Local Type Inference, Programming Languages, Type Inference Algorithm