Parametric Denotational Semantics for Extensible Language Definition and Program Analysis

Abstract

We present a novel approach to construction of a formal semantics for a programming language. Our approach, using a parametric denotational semantics, allows the semantics to be easily extended to support new language features, and abstracted to define program analyses. We apply this in analysing a duck-typed, reflective, curried dynamic language. The benefits of this approach include its terseness and modularity, and the ease with which one can gradually build language features and analyses on top of a previous incarnation of a semantics.