Report Number: CSL-TR-79-171
Institution: Stanford University, Computer Systems Laboratory
Title: A theory of interpretive architectures: some notes on DEL design and
Author: Hoevel, Lee
Author: Flynn, Michael J.
Date: February 1979
Abstract: An interpretive architecture is a program representation that
peculiarly suits a particular high level language or class of
languages. The architecture is a program representation which
we call a directly executed language (DEL). In a companion
paper we have explored the theory involved in the creation of
ideal DEL forms and have analyzed how some traditional
instruction sets compare to this measure.
This paper is an attempt to develop a reasonably
comprehensive theory of DEL synthesis. By assuming a flexible
interpretation oriented host machine, synthesis involves
three particular areas: (1) sequencing; both between image
machine instructions and within the host interpreter, (2)
action rules including both format for transformation and
operation invoked, and finally, (3) the name space which
includes both name structure and name environment.
A complete implementation of a simple version of FORTRAN is
described in the appendix of the paper. This DEL for FORTRAN
called DELtran comes close to achieving the ideal program
measures.
http://i.stanford.edu/pub/cstr/reports/csl/tr/79/171/CSL-TR-79-171.pdf