University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Programming in three dimensions

Najork, Marc-Alexander

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/19189

Description

Title
Programming in three dimensions
Author(s)
Najork, Marc-Alexander
Issue Date
1994
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Kaplan, Simon M.
Department of Study
Computer Science
Discipline
Computer Science
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Computer Science
Language
eng
Abstract
  • This thesis describes Cube, the first visual language to employ a three-dimensional syntax. The third dimension provides for a richer syntax, makes the language more expressive, and prepares the ground for novel, virtual-reality-based programming environments. We use dimensional extent to convey semantic meaning, or more precisely, to distinguish between logical disjunctions and conjunctions, and between sum and product types.
  • Cube uses the data flow metaphor as an intuitive way to describe logic programs. The semantics of the language is based on a higher-order form of Horn logic. Predicates are viewed as a special kind of terms, and are treated as first-class values. In particularly, they can be passed as arguments to other predicates, which allows us to define higher-order predicates.
  • Cube has a static polymorphic type system, and uses the Hindley-Milner algorithm to perform type inference. Well-typed programs are guaranteed to be type-safe.
  • We have implemented two Cube interpreters: An initial feasibility study, and a prototype implementation with improved interactive capabilities. Both of them exploit the implicit parallelism of the language by simulated concurrency, implemented via time-slicing.
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/19189
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 1994 Najork, Marc-Alexander

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Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois
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