Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

Methods for implementing garbage collection, tail recursion and first-class continuations for advanced computer applications in a stack-oriented language. Objects, including assignable cells, subprogram closure objects and continuation objects, can be allocated within the invocation frames of the stack-oriented language and these objects will be evacuated from the invocation frames before these frames are deallocated. The techniques enable a tail-call optimization by which a tail-recursion can be executed in constant net space for the invocation frames of the tail-recursive subprogram. The technique, when combined with a continuation-passing style of programming in stack-oriented computer languages, also allows an efficient implemention of garbage collection and first-class continuations. Our technique is useful in the interpretation and compilation of advanced computer languages which incorporate the features of tail-recursion, first-class continuations and/or garbage collection.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim