Language binding

Abstract: DataScript is a language to describe and manipulate binary data formats as types. DataScript consists of two components: a constraint-based specification language that uses DataScript types to describe the physical layout of data and a language binding that provides a simple programming interface to script binary data. A DataScript compiler generates Java libraries that are linked with DataScript scripts.DataScript specifications can be used to describe formats in a programmatic way, eliminating the vagaries and ambiguities often associated with prosaic format descriptions. The libraries generated by the DataScript compiler free the programmer from the tedious task of coding input and output routines. More importantly, they assure correctness and safety by validating both the input read and the output generated. We show examples that demonstrate that DataScript is simple, yet powerful enough to describe many commonly used formats. Similar to how scripting languages such as Perl allow the manipulation of text files, the libraries generated by the DataScript compiler can be used to quickly write scripts that safely manipulate binary files.

Abstract: Chasm is a toolkit providing seamless language interoperability between Fortran 95 and C++. Language interoperability is important to scientific programmers because scientific applications are predominantly written in Fortran, while software tools are mostly written in C++. Two design features differentiate Chasm from other related tools. First, we avoid the common-denominator type systems and programming models found in most Interface Definition Language (IDL)-based interoperability systems. Chasm uses the intermediate representation generated by a compiler front-end for each supported language as its source of interface information instead of an IDL. Second, bridging code is generated for each pairwise language binding, removing the need for a common intermediate data representation and multiple levels of indirection between the caller and callee. These features make Chasm a simple system that performs well, requires minimal user intervention and, in most instances, bridging code generation can be performed automatically. Chasm is also easily extensible and highly portable. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract: Network programming is notoriously hard to understand: one has to deal with a variety of protocols (IP, ICMP, UDP, TCP etc.), concurrency, packet loss, host failure, timeouts, the complex sockets interface to the protocols, and subtle portability issues. Moreover, the behavioural properties of operating systems and the network are not well documented.A few of these issues have been addressed in the process calculus and distributed algorithm communities, but there remains a wide gulf between what has been captured in semantic models and what is required for a precise understanding of the behaviour of practical distributed programs that use these protocols.In this paper we demonstrate (in a preliminary way) that the gulf can be bridged. We give an operational model for socket programming with a substantial fraction of UDP and ICMP, including loss and failure. The model has been validated by experiment against actual systems. It is not tied to a particular programming language, but can be used with any language equipped with an operational semantics for system calls - here we give such a language binding for an OCaml fragment. We illustrate the model with a few small network programs.

Abstract: This paper introduces the STL++ coordination language, a C++based language binding of the ECM coordination model. STL++ applies theories and techniques known from coordination theory and languages in distributed computing to try to better formalize communication and coordination in distributed multi-agent applications. STL++, as such, may be soon as a preliminary agent language which allows the Organizational structure or architecture of a multi-agent system to be described, with means to dynamically reconfigure it. It is aimed at giving basic constructs for distributed implementations of generic multi-agent platforms, to be run on a LAN of general-purpose workstations. STL++ uses an encapsulation mechanism as its primay abstraction, offering structured separate name spaces which can be hierachically organized. Agents communicate anonymously within and/or across name spaces through connections, which are established by the matching of the communication interfaces of the participating agents. As an example, STE++ is used to simulate the automation of a trading system.