Open AccessObject-Oriented Type Inference
Author(s) -
Jens Palsberg,
Michael I. Schwartzbach
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
daimi pb
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2245-9316
pISSN - 0105-8517
DOI - 10.7146/dpb.v20i345.6575
Subject(s) - subtyping , type inference , computer science , programming language , theoretical computer science , compiler , type (biology) , graph , set (abstract data type) , inference , inheritance (genetic algorithm) , trace (psycholinguistics) , data type , algorithm , artificial intelligence , ecology , biochemistry , chemistry , linguistics , philosophy , gene , biology
We present a new approach to inferring types in untyped object-oriented programs with inheritance, assignments, and late binding. It guarantees that all messages are understood, annotates the program with type information, allows polymorphic methods, and can be used as the basis of an optimizing compiler. Types are finite sets of classes and subtyping is set inclusion. Using a trace graph, our algorithm constructs a set of conditional type constraints and computes the least solution by least fixed-point derivation.