Home Run time type checking A couple of items that are loosely related. First, Sun is updating the Java Class File Specification.

The main difference is the introduction of a new verification scheme based on type checking rather than type inference. This scheme has inherent advantages in performance (both space (on the order of 90% savings) and time (approximately 2x)) over the previous approach. It is also simpler and more robust, and helps pave the way for future evolution of the platform. I haven't read through the fine print of the changes yet - at some point I need to update my class file

The type rules that the typechecker enforces are specified by means of Prolog clauses. English language text is used to describe the type rules in an informal way, while the Prolog code provides a formal specification. On a different note, there is a new thesis paper on

Type analysis needs to compare dynamic types, which have to be computed from (probably higher-order) type expressions that may contain types from other modules. If lazy linking has delayed the loading of these modules so far, then the corresponding types are represented by free type variables. For the type-level computation in our model this means that it may encounter free type variables whose denotation depends on yet unevaluated term-level expressions. To proceed, it inevitably has to eliminate these variables by triggering the necessary evaluations on term-level. In other words: type-level computation has to account for lazy types. We give two strategies for this and show soundness properties for the resulting calculi. In general, it means you still have to with dynamic type checking in static languages - though the meaning is different than the runtime typing that occurs with dynamic PLs. I haven't read through the fine print of the changes yet - at some point I need to update my class file disassembler - but then I still haven't gotten around to the changes in Java 5 which were much less involved. One thing that I found interesting was the use of Prolog in the specification (predicates and horn clauses).On a different note, there is a new thesis paper on A Semantics For Lazy Types related to the Alice ML project. The specifications for runtime type checking are in the more formal operational specs of ML and the runtime type checking is more ambitious than that associated with Java.In general, it means you still have to with dynamic type checking in static languages - though the meaning is different than the runtime typing that occurs with dynamic PLs. Comment viewing options Flat list - collapsed Flat list - expanded Threaded list - collapsed Threaded list - expanded Date - newest first Date - oldest first Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.