Object-oriented concurrent reflective languages can be implemented efficiently

Abstract

Computational reflection is beneficial in concurrent computing in offering a linguistic mechanism for incorporating user-specific policies. New challenges are (1) how to implement them, and (2) how to do so efficiently. We present efficient implementation schemes for object-oriented concurrent reflective languages using our language ABCL/R2 as an example. The schemes include: efficient lazy creation of metaobjects/meta-groups, partial compilation of scripts (methods), dynamic progression, self-reification, and light-weight objects, all appropriately integrated so that the user-level semantics remain consistent with the meta-circular definition so that the full power of reflection is retained, while achieving practical efficiency. ABCL/R2 exhibits two orders of magnitude speed improvement over its predecessor, ABCL/R, and in fact compares favorably to the ABCL/1 compiler and also C + Sun LWP, neither supporting reflection. 3 To be presented at ACM OOPSLA'92, Vancouver, Canada, Oct. 199...