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Lexical profiling: theory and practice

Part of: JFP Research Articles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2008

Chris Clack ,
Stuart Clayman  and
David Parrott
Chris Clack
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E, UK (email: {clack,sclayman,dparrott}@cs.ucl.ac.uk)
Stuart Clayman
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E, UK (email: {clack,sclayman,dparrott}@cs.ucl.ac.uk)
David Parrott
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E, UK (email: {clack,sclayman,dparrott}@cs.ucl.ac.uk)
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Abstract

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This paper addresses the issue of analysing the run-time behaviour of lazy, higher-order functional programs. We examine the difference between the way that functional programmers and functional language implementors view program behaviour. Existing profiling techniques are discussed and a new technique is proposed which produces results that are straightforward for programmers to assimilate. The new technique, which we call lexical profiling, collects information about the run-time behaviour of functional programs, and reports the results with respect to the original source code rather than simply listing the actions performed at run-time. Lexical profiling complements implementation-specific profiling and is important because it provides a view of program activity which is largely independent of the underlying evaluation mechanism. Using the lexical profiler, programmers may easily relate results back to the source program. We give a full implementation of the lexical profiling technique for a sequential, interpretive graph reduction engine, and extensions for compiled and parallel graph reduction are discussed.

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Functional Programming , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , April 1995 , pp. 225 - 277
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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