research-article

Coeffects: a calculus of context-dependent computation

Authors:

Tomas Petricek,

Dominic Orchard,

Alan MycroftAuthors Info & Claims

ACM SIGPLAN Notices, Volume 49, Issue 9

Pages 123 - 135

https://doi.org/10.1145/2692915.2628160

Published: 19 August 2014 Publication History

Abstract

The notion of context in functional languages no longer refers just to variables in scope. Context can capture additional properties of variables (usage patterns in linear logics; caching requirements in dataflow languages) as well as additional resources or properties of the execution environment (rebindable resources; platform version in a cross-platform application). The recently introduced notion of coeffects captures the latter, whole-context properties, but it failed to capture fine-grained per-variable properties.

We remedy this by developing a generalized coeffect system with annotations indexed by a coeffect shape. By instantiating a concrete shape, our system captures previously studied flat (whole-context) coeffects, but also structural (per-variable) coeffects, making coeffect analyses more useful. We show that the structural system enjoys desirable syntactic properties and we give a categorical semantics using extended notions of indexed comonad.

The examples presented in this paper are based on analysis of established language features (liveness, linear logics, dataflow, dynamic scoping) and we argue that such context-aware properties will also be useful for future development of languages for increasingly heterogeneous and distributed platforms.

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Cited By

Hughes JOrchard D(2024)Program Synthesis from Graded TypesProgramming Languages and Systems10.1007/978-3-031-57262-3_4(83-112)Online publication date: 6-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/978-3-031-57262-3_4
Bianchini RDagnino FGiannini PZucca E(2023)A Java-like Calculus with Heterogeneous CoeffectsTheoretical Computer Science10.1016/j.tcs.2023.114063(114063)Online publication date: Jul-2023
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcs.2023.114063
Melicher DXu AZhao VPotanin AAldrich J(2022)Bounded Abstract EffectsACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems10.1145/349242744:1(1-48)Online publication date: 12-Jan-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3492427
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Index Terms

Coeffects: a calculus of context-dependent computation
1. Software and its engineering
  1. Software notations and tools
    1. Formal language definitions
2. Theory of computation
  1. Formal languages and automata theory

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Information

Published In

cover image ACM SIGPLAN Notices

ACM SIGPLAN Notices Volume 49, Issue 9

ICFP '14

September 2014

361 pages

ISSN:0362-1340

EISSN:1558-1160

DOI:10.1145/2692915

Editors:
Mark W. Bailey
Hamilton College, Clinton, NY
,
Rajeev Balasubramonian
University of Utah
,
Al Davis
University of Utah
,
Sarita Adve
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champ

Issue’s Table of Contents

ICFP '14: Proceedings of the 19th ACM SIGPLAN international conference on Functional programming
August 2014
390 pages
ISBN:9781450328739
DOI:10.1145/2628136
General Chair:
Johan Jeuring
Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
,
Program Chair:
Manuel M.T. Chakravarty
University of New South Wales, Australia

Copyright © 2014 ACM.

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 19 August 2014

Published in SIGPLAN Volume 49, Issue 9

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Cited By

Hughes JOrchard D(2024)Program Synthesis from Graded TypesProgramming Languages and Systems10.1007/978-3-031-57262-3_4(83-112)Online publication date: 6-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/978-3-031-57262-3_4
Bianchini RDagnino FGiannini PZucca E(2023)A Java-like Calculus with Heterogeneous CoeffectsTheoretical Computer Science10.1016/j.tcs.2023.114063(114063)Online publication date: Jul-2023
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcs.2023.114063
Melicher DXu AZhao VPotanin AAldrich J(2022)Bounded Abstract EffectsACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems10.1145/349242744:1(1-48)Online publication date: 12-Jan-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3492427
Wood JAtkey R(2022)A Framework for Substructural Type SystemsProgramming Languages and Systems10.1007/978-3-030-99336-8_14(376-402)Online publication date: 29-Mar-2022
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-99336-8_14
Hughes JVollmer MOrchard D(2021)Deriving Distributive Laws for Graded Linear TypesElectronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science10.4204/EPTCS.353.6353(109-131)Online publication date: 30-Dec-2021
https://doi.org/10.4204/EPTCS.353.6
Elizarov RBelyaev MAkhin MUsmanov IDe Meuter WBaniassad E(2021)Kotlin coroutines: design and implementationProceedings of the 2021 ACM SIGPLAN International Symposium on New Ideas, New Paradigms, and Reflections on Programming and Software10.1145/3486607.3486751(68-84)Online publication date: 20-Oct-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3486607.3486751
Uustalu TVoorneveld N(2020)Algebraic and Coalgebraic Perspectives on Interaction LawsProgramming Languages and Systems10.1007/978-3-030-64437-6_10(186-205)Online publication date: 30-Nov-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/978-3-030-64437-6_10
McBride C(2016)I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’A List of Successes That Can Change the World10.1007/978-3-319-30936-1_12(207-233)Online publication date: 25-Mar-2016
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Dumas JDuval DEkici BPous DReynaud J(2015)Relative Hilbert-Post Completeness for ExceptionsRevised Selected Papers of the 6th International Conference on Mathematical Aspects of Computer and Information Sciences - Volume 958210.1007/978-3-319-32859-1_51(596-610)Online publication date: 11-Nov-2015
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/978-3-319-32859-1_51
Mycroft AOrchard DPetricek T(2015)Effect Systems Revisited--Control-Flow Algebra and SemanticsEssays Dedicated to Hanne Riis Nielson and Flemming Nielson on the Occasion of Their 60th Birthdays on Semantics, Logics, and Calculi - Volume 956010.1007/978-3-319-27810-0_1(1-32)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2015
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