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  • Cited by 11
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    This article has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by CrossRef.
    Belyakova, Julia 2016. Programming Languages. Vol. 9889, Issue. , p. 1.
    Pelenitsyn, A. 2015. Associated types and constraint propagation for generic programming in Scala. Programming and Computer Software, Vol. 41, Issue. 4, p. 224.
    Lincke, Daniel Schupp, Sibylle and Ionescu, Cezar 2015. Functional prototypes for generic C++ libraries: a transformational approach based on higher-order, typed signatures. International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer, Vol. 17, Issue. 1, p. 91.
    Zuo, Zhengkang Xue, Jinyun and Wang, Changjing 2013. Constraint Verification of Generic Algorithmic Program for Solving General Network Path Problems. Journal of Networks, Vol. 8, Issue. 5,
    Sateanpattanakul, Siwadol Hamamoto, Kazuhiko and Walairacht, Aranya 2013. JGroovy: An alternative approach to implement extensible Java compiler. IEEJ Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Vol. 8, Issue. 4, p. 380.
    Siek, Jeremy G. and Lumsdaine, Andrew 2011. A language for generic programming in the large. Science of Computer Programming, Vol. 76, Issue. 5, p. 423.
    Järvi, Jaakko Marcus, Mat and Smith, Jacob N. 2010. Programming with C++ concepts. Science of Computer Programming, Vol. 75, Issue. 7, p. 596.
    BERNARDY, JEAN-PHILIPPE JANSSON, PATRIK ZALEWSKI, MARCIN and SCHUPP, SIBYLLE 2010. Generic programming with C++ concepts and Haskell type classes—a comparison. Journal of Functional Programming, Vol. 20, Issue. 3-4, p. 271.
    Jeuring, Johan Leather, Sean Pedro Magalhães, José and Rodriguez Yakushev, Alexey 2009. Advanced Functional Programming. Vol. 5832, Issue. , p. 165.
    Lincke, Daniel Jansson, Patrik Zalewski, Marcin and Ionescu, Cezar 2009. Domain-Specific Languages. Vol. 5658, Issue. , p. 236.
    Schwaha, Philipp Heinzl, René Stimpfl, Franz and Selberherr, Siegfried 2009. Synergies in scientific computing by combining multi-paradigmatic languages for high-performance applications. International Journal of Parallel, Emergent and Distributed Systems, Vol. 24, Issue. 6, p. 539.
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An extended comparative study of language support for generic programming

  • RONALD GARCIA (a1), JAAKKO JARVI (a2), ANDREW LUMSDAINE (a1), JEREMY SIEK (a3) and JEREMIAH WILLCOCK (a1)...
Abstract

Many modern programming languages support basic generics, sufficient to implement type-safe polymorphic containers. Some languages have moved beyond this basic support, and in doing so have enabled a broader, more powerful form of generic programming. This paper reports on a comprehensive comparison of facilities for generic programming in eight programming languages: C++, Standard ML, Objective Caml, Haskell, Eiffel, Java, C# (with its proposed generics extension), and Cecil. By implementing a substantial example in each of these languages, we illustrate how the basic roles of generic programming can be represented in each language. We also identify eight language properties that support this broader view of generic programming: support for multi-type concepts, multiple constraints on type parameters, convenient associated type access, constraints on associated types, retroactive modeling, type aliases, separate compilation of algorithms and data structures, and implicit argument type deduction for generic algorithms. We find that these features are necessary to avoid awkward designs, poor maintainability, and painfully verbose code. As languages increasingly support generics, it is important that language designers understand the features necessary to enable the effective use of generics and that their absence can cause difficulties for programmers.

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COPYRIGHT: © Cambridge University Press 2006
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  • Cited by 11
  • Cited by
    Crossref Citations
    Crossref logo
    This article has been cited by the following publications. This list is generated based on data provided by CrossRef.
    Belyakova, Julia 2016. Programming Languages. Vol. 9889, Issue. , p. 1.
    Pelenitsyn, A. 2015. Associated types and constraint propagation for generic programming in Scala. Programming and Computer Software, Vol. 41, Issue. 4, p. 224.
    Lincke, Daniel Schupp, Sibylle and Ionescu, Cezar 2015. Functional prototypes for generic C++ libraries: a transformational approach based on higher-order, typed signatures. International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer, Vol. 17, Issue. 1, p. 91.
    Zuo, Zhengkang Xue, Jinyun and Wang, Changjing 2013. Constraint Verification of Generic Algorithmic Program for Solving General Network Path Problems. Journal of Networks, Vol. 8, Issue. 5,
    Sateanpattanakul, Siwadol Hamamoto, Kazuhiko and Walairacht, Aranya 2013. JGroovy: An alternative approach to implement extensible Java compiler. IEEJ Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Vol. 8, Issue. 4, p. 380.
    Siek, Jeremy G. and Lumsdaine, Andrew 2011. A language for generic programming in the large. Science of Computer Programming, Vol. 76, Issue. 5, p. 423.
    Järvi, Jaakko Marcus, Mat and Smith, Jacob N. 2010. Programming with C++ concepts. Science of Computer Programming, Vol. 75, Issue. 7, p. 596.
    BERNARDY, JEAN-PHILIPPE JANSSON, PATRIK ZALEWSKI, MARCIN and SCHUPP, SIBYLLE 2010. Generic programming with C++ concepts and Haskell type classes—a comparison. Journal of Functional Programming, Vol. 20, Issue. 3-4, p. 271.
    Jeuring, Johan Leather, Sean Pedro Magalhães, José and Rodriguez Yakushev, Alexey 2009. Advanced Functional Programming. Vol. 5832, Issue. , p. 165.
    Lincke, Daniel Jansson, Patrik Zalewski, Marcin and Ionescu, Cezar 2009. Domain-Specific Languages. Vol. 5658, Issue. , p. 236.
    Schwaha, Philipp Heinzl, René Stimpfl, Franz and Selberherr, Siegfried 2009. Synergies in scientific computing by combining multi-paradigmatic languages for high-performance applications. International Journal of Parallel, Emergent and Distributed Systems, Vol. 24, Issue. 6, p. 539.
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An extended comparative study of language support for generic programming

  • RONALD GARCIA (a1), JAAKKO JARVI (a2), ANDREW LUMSDAINE (a1), JEREMY SIEK (a3) and JEREMIAH WILLCOCK (a1)...
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