On compilation

[kpreid]

Consider an interpreter as a function (Program, Input) → Output. Then:

A compiler is an optimized curried interpreter.

(Further reading: The Three Projections of Doctor Futamura)

Comments

[darius.livejournal.com]

You might like to see the first projection worked out at http://wry.me/misc/peval.html

I never finished my follow-up on the compiler generator (the result of the third projection, but coded by hand as that seems easier than writing a partial evaluator that handles that case well).

[dougo.livejournal.com]

I did some partial evaluation for my PhD thesis work. Fun stuff.