Abstract
The precision of many type based analyses can be significantly increased given additional information about the programs’ execution. For this reason it is not uncommon for such analyses to integrate supporting analyses computing, for instance, nil-pointer or alias information. Such integration is problematic for a number of reasons: 1) it obscures the original intention of the type system especially if multiple additional analyses are added, 2) it makes use of already available analyses difficult, since they have to be rephrased as type systems, and 3) it is non-modular: changing the supporting analyses implies changing the entire type system.
Using ideas from abstract interpretation we present a method for parameterizing type systems over the results of abstract analyses in such a way that one modular correctness proof can be obtained. This is achieved by defining a general format for information transferal and use of the information provided by the abstract analyses. The key gain from this method is a clear separation between the correctness of the analyses and the type system, both in the implementation and correctness proof, which leads to a comparatively easy way of changing the parameterized analysis, and making use of precise, and hence complicated analyses.
In addition, we exemplify the use of the framework by presenting a parameterized type system that uses additional information to improve the precision of exception types in a small imperative language with arrays.
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Gedell, T., Hedin, D. (2008). Abstract Interpretation Plugins for Type Systems. In: Meseguer, J., Roşu, G. (eds) Algebraic Methodology and Software Technology. AMAST 2008. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 5140. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-79980-1_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-79980-1_15
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