ITR Collaborative Research: A Reusable, Extensible, Optimizing Back End

计算机程序是用高级编程语言编写的，但要运行，它必须被翻译成机器语言。翻译器很难建造，成本也很高，而且使用当今的技术，每种编程语言都需要自己的翻译器。例如，对Java和C++使用同一个翻译器几乎是不可能的。该项目正在开发一种技术，通过这种技术，理解机器语言的“后端”可以服务于许多不同的“前端”，每个前端都理解一种不同的编程语言。将这些前端和后端结合起来可以产生比目前可能的更低成本的翻译器。主要的新想法是使用*三个*接口。C语言是一个接口，它使前端能够告诉后端程序应该做什么。C--运行时接口显示后端做出的决策，以便前端可以支持垃圾收集和线程等服务。Cobalt语言是一种接口，使前端能够告诉后端需要哪些特殊的翻译技术来提高特定语言的效率。这些界面得到了新的自动化技术的支持，以消除翻译中的潜在错误。

A computer program is written in a high-level *programming* *language*,but to be run, it must be translated into a *machine* *language*.A translator is difficult and expensive to build, and using today'stechniques, each programming language needs its own translator. Forexample, it is nearly impossible to use the same translator for both Javaand C++. The project is developing techniques by which a ``back end,''which understands machine language, can serve many different ``frontends,'' each of which understands a different programming language.Combining such front and back ends can produce a translator much morecheaply than is possible at present. The major new idea is to use*three* interfaces. The C-- language is an interface that enablesthe front end to tell the back end what a program should do. The C--run-time interface reveals decisions made by the back end so that thefront end can support such services as garbage collection and threads.The Cobalt language is an interface that enables the front end to tell theback end what special translation techniques are needed for efficiency ina particular language. These interfaces are supported by new, automatictechniques for eliminating potential errors in translation.