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Typing first-class continuations in ML†

Part of: JFP Research Articles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2008

Robert Harper ,
Bruce F. Duba  and
David Macqueen
Robert Harper
Affiliation:
School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
Bruce F. Duba
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA
David Macqueen
Affiliation:
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ 07974, USA
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Abstract

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An extension of ML with continuation primitives similar to those found in Scheme is considered. A number of alternative type systems are discussed, and several programming examples are given. A continuation-based operational semantics is defined for a small, purely functional language, and the soundness of the Damas–Milner polymorphic type assignment system with respect to this semantics is proved. The full Damas–Milner type system is shown to be unsound in the presence of first-class continuations. Restrictions on polymorphism similar to those introduced in connection with reference types are shown to suffice for soundness.

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Functional Programming , Volume 3 , Issue 4 , October 1993 , pp. 465 - 484
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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