[PRL] PL seminar

[Matthias Felleisen]

Mitch, I recruited Jacob Matthews (Robby Findler's PhD student) as a 
speaker for the PL seminar. Unfortunately he cannot make the usual Wed 
slot.

Everyone else, please make a note on your calendar.

-- Matthias




The Meaning of Multilanguage Programs

Jacob Matthews
University of Chicago, Chicago

Monday, October 17, 2005

Software developers have long understood that real applications are 
built out of
components in different languages and connected using a variety of 
different
strategies. For example, foreign function interface systems like SWIG 
connect
high-level languages to low-level languages; component frameworks like 
COM and;
CORBA connect high-level languages to; each other; and domain-specific 
languages
such as Yacc are embedded into their host languages in such a away that 
control
and data flow back and forth between the programs.

In this talk I will present a general technique for modelling the 
operational
semantics of multilanguage systems such as these. The technique is 
simple and
general, and surprisingly connects traditional multilanguage systems to
seemingly unrelated concepts such as contracts.

Joint work with Robert B. Findler