An Operational Foundation for Delimited Continuations

Malgorzata Biernacka
Dariusz Biernacki
Olivier Danvy

December 2003

Abstract:

We derive an abstract machine that corresponds to a definitional interpreter for the control operators shift and reset. Based on this abstract machine, we construct a syntactic theory of delimited continuations.

Both the derivation and the construction scale to the family of control operators shift$_n$ and reset$_n$. The definitional interpreter for shift$_n$ and reset$_n$ has $n+1$ layers of continuations, the corresponding abstract machine has $n+1$ layers of control stacks, and the corresponding syntactic theory has $n+1$ layers of evaluation contexts.

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Last modified: 2004-01-23 by webmaster.