EAGER: Exploratory Research on Gradual Programming

这笔热切的赠款探索了一种新的计算机编程方法的早期概念。程序员的意图和代码的实际含义之间的语义鸿沟严重阻碍了提高程序员生产率、软件可靠性和执行效率的努力。为了解决语义鸿沟，该项目从根本上重新思考了如何开发软件。渐进式编程的新编程模型、方法和系统将支持并行开发程序和编程语言语义。这一愿景主张用一系列具有不同语义的语言来开发程序。然后，开发过程的一部分涉及确定程序的准确语义。一个关键问题涉及编程语言的表现力和构建能够静态检查编程错误的工具的能力之间的权衡。这样的愿景并不是没有重大挑战和可能的陷阱，例如维护性能，以及将编程语言设计的问题委托给程序员。该项目将研究Java编程语言中语义鸿沟的来源，以更好地理解问题并更充分地阐明方法。

This EAGER grant explores early concepts of a new approach to computer programming. The semantic gap between what the programmer intends and what the code actually means significantly impedes efforts to improve programmer productivity, software reliability, and execution efficiency. To address the semantic gap, the project radically rethinks how to develop software. A new programming model, methodology, and system for ?gradual programming? will support the development of programs and programming language semantics in parallel. The vision advocates developing programs in a family of languages with varying semantics. Then, part of the development process involves nailing down the precise semantics of the program. A key issue involves the tradeoffs between expressiveness of a programming language and the ability to build tools capable of statically checking for programming errors. Such a vision is not without significant challenges and possible pitfalls, such as maintaining performance, and entrusting issues of programming language design to programmers. The project will study the sources of the semantic gap in the Java programming language to understand the problem better and articulate the approach more fully.