Difference between revisions of "Publications/newton.18.phd"

From LRDE

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| address = Paris, France
 
| address = Paris, France
 
| abstract = In this report, we present code generation techniques related to run-time type checking of heterogeneous sequences. Traditional regular expressions can be used to recognize well defined sets of character strings called rational languages or sometimes textitregular languages. Newton et al. present an extension whereby a dynamic programming language may recognize a well defined set of heterogeneous sequences, such as lists and vectors. As with the analogous string matching regular expression theory, matching these regular type expressions can also be achieved by using a finite state machine (deterministic finite automata, DFA). Constructing such a DFA can be time consuming. The approach we chose, uses meta-programming to intervene at compile-time, generating efficient functions specific to each DFA, and allowing the compiler to further optimize the functions if possible. The functions are made available for use at run-time. Without this use of meta-programming, the program might otherwise be forced to construct the DFA at run-time. The excessively high cost of such a construction would likely far outweigh the time needed to match a string against the expression. Our technique involves hooking into the Common Lisp type system via the deftype macro. The first time the compiler encounters a relevant type specifier, the appropriate DFA is created, which may be a <math>\Omega(2^n)</math> operation, from which specific low-level code is generated to match that specific expression. Thereafter, when the type specifier is encountered again, the same pre-generated function can be used. The code generated is <math>\Theta(n)</math> complexity at run-time. A complication of this approachwhich we explain in this report, is that to build the DFA we must calculate a disjoint type decomposition which is time consuming, and also leads to sub-optimal use of typecase in machine generated code. To handle this complication, we use our own macro optimized-typecase in our machine generated code. Uses of this macro are also implicitly expanded at compile time. Our macro expansion uses BDDs (Binary Decision Diagrams) to optimize the optimized-typecase into low level code, maintaining the typecase semantics but eliminating redundant type checks. In the report we also describe an extension of BDDs to accomodate subtyping in the Common Lisp type system as well as an in-depth analysis of worst-case sizes of BDDs.
 
| abstract = In this report, we present code generation techniques related to run-time type checking of heterogeneous sequences. Traditional regular expressions can be used to recognize well defined sets of character strings called rational languages or sometimes textitregular languages. Newton et al. present an extension whereby a dynamic programming language may recognize a well defined set of heterogeneous sequences, such as lists and vectors. As with the analogous string matching regular expression theory, matching these regular type expressions can also be achieved by using a finite state machine (deterministic finite automata, DFA). Constructing such a DFA can be time consuming. The approach we chose, uses meta-programming to intervene at compile-time, generating efficient functions specific to each DFA, and allowing the compiler to further optimize the functions if possible. The functions are made available for use at run-time. Without this use of meta-programming, the program might otherwise be forced to construct the DFA at run-time. The excessively high cost of such a construction would likely far outweigh the time needed to match a string against the expression. Our technique involves hooking into the Common Lisp type system via the deftype macro. The first time the compiler encounters a relevant type specifier, the appropriate DFA is created, which may be a <math>\Omega(2^n)</math> operation, from which specific low-level code is generated to match that specific expression. Thereafter, when the type specifier is encountered again, the same pre-generated function can be used. The code generated is <math>\Theta(n)</math> complexity at run-time. A complication of this approachwhich we explain in this report, is that to build the DFA we must calculate a disjoint type decomposition which is time consuming, and also leads to sub-optimal use of typecase in machine generated code. To handle this complication, we use our own macro optimized-typecase in our machine generated code. Uses of this macro are also implicitly expanded at compile time. Our macro expansion uses BDDs (Binary Decision Diagrams) to optimize the optimized-typecase into low level code, maintaining the typecase semantics but eliminating redundant type checks. In the report we also describe an extension of BDDs to accomodate subtyping in the Common Lisp type system as well as an in-depth analysis of worst-case sizes of BDDs.
  +
| lrdepaper = http://www.lrde.epita.fr/dload/papers/newton.18.phd.pdf
 
| lrdeslides = http://www.lrde.epita.fr/dload/papers/newton.18.phd.slides.pdf
 
| lrdeslides = http://www.lrde.epita.fr/dload/papers/newton.18.phd.slides.pdf
 
| lrdekeywords = rational language, automata, lisp, bdd
 
| lrdekeywords = rational language, automata, lisp, bdd

Revision as of 14:23, 14 January 2019

Abstract

In this report, we present code generation techniques related to run-time type checking of heterogeneous sequences. Traditional regular expressions can be used to recognize well defined sets of character strings called rational languages or sometimes textitregular languages. Newton et al. present an extension whereby a dynamic programming language may recognize a well defined set of heterogeneous sequences, such as lists and vectors. As with the analogous string matching regular expression theory, matching these regular type expressions can also be achieved by using a finite state machine (deterministic finite automata, DFA). Constructing such a DFA can be time consuming. The approach we chose, uses meta-programming to intervene at compile-time, generating efficient functions specific to each DFA, and allowing the compiler to further optimize the functions if possible. The functions are made available for use at run-time. Without this use of meta-programming, the program might otherwise be forced to construct the DFA at run-time. The excessively high cost of such a construction would likely far outweigh the time needed to match a string against the expression. Our technique involves hooking into the Common Lisp type system via the deftype macro. The first time the compiler encounters a relevant type specifier, the appropriate DFA is created, which may be a operation, from which specific low-level code is generated to match that specific expression. Thereafter, when the type specifier is encountered again, the same pre-generated function can be used. The code generated is complexity at run-time. A complication of this approachwhich we explain in this report, is that to build the DFA we must calculate a disjoint type decomposition which is time consuming, and also leads to sub-optimal use of typecase in machine generated code. To handle this complication, we use our own macro optimized-typecase in our machine generated code. Uses of this macro are also implicitly expanded at compile time. Our macro expansion uses BDDs (Binary Decision Diagrams) to optimize the optimized-typecase into low level code, maintaining the typecase semantics but eliminating redundant type checks. In the report we also describe an extension of BDDs to accomodate subtyping in the Common Lisp type system as well as an in-depth analysis of worst-case sizes of BDDs.

Documents

Bibtex (lrde.bib)

@PhDThesis{	  newton.18.phd,
  author	= {Jim Newton},
  title		= {Representing and Computing with Types in Dynamically Typed
		  Languages},
  school	= {Sorbonne Universit\'e},
  year		= 2018,
  address	= {Paris, France},
  month		= nov,
  abstract	= {In this report, we present code generation techniques
		  related to run-time type checking of heterogeneous
		  sequences. Traditional regular expressions can be used to
		  recognize well defined sets of character strings called
		  \textit{rational languages} or sometimes \textit{regular
		  languages}. Newton et al. present an extension whereby a
		  dynamic programming language may recognize a well defined
		  set of heterogeneous sequences, such as lists and vectors.
		  As with the analogous string matching regular expression
		  theory, matching these \textit{regular type expressions}
		  can also be achieved by using a finite state machine
		  (deterministic finite automata, DFA). Constructing such a
		  DFA can be time consuming. The approach we chose, uses
		  meta-programming to intervene at compile-time, generating
		  efficient functions specific to each DFA, and allowing the
		  compiler to further optimize the functions if possible. The
		  functions are made available for use at run-time. Without
		  this use of meta-programming, the program might otherwise
		  be forced to construct the DFA at run-time. The excessively
		  high cost of such a construction would likely far outweigh
		  the time needed to match a string against the expression.
		  Our technique involves hooking into the Common Lisp type
		  system via the \texttt{deftype} macro. The first time the
		  compiler encounters a relevant type specifier, the
		  appropriate DFA is created, which may be a $\Omega(2^n)$
		  operation, from which specific low-level code is generated
		  to match that specific expression. Thereafter, when the
		  type specifier is encountered again, the same pre-generated
		  function can be used. The code generated is $\Theta(n)$
		  complexity at run-time. A complication of this approach,
		  which we explain in this report, is that to build the DFA
		  we must calculate a disjoint type decomposition which is
		  time consuming, and also leads to sub-optimal use of
		  \texttt{typecase} in machine generated code. To handle this
		  complication, we use our own macro
		  \texttt{optimized-typecase} in our machine generated code.
		  Uses of this macro are also implicitly expanded at compile
		  time. Our macro expansion uses BDDs (Binary Decision
		  Diagrams) to optimize the \texttt{optimized-typecase} into
		  low level code, maintaining the \texttt{typecase} semantics
		  but eliminating redundant type checks. In the report we
		  also describe an extension of BDDs to accomodate subtyping
		  in the Common Lisp type system as well as an in-depth
		  analysis of worst-case sizes of BDDs. }
}