Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!mailrus!iuvax!rutgers!sunybcs!marvin!axaris From: axaris@cs.buffalo.edu (Vassilios Axaris) Newsgroups: comp.lang.prolog Subject: Re: logic programs -> procedural lang? Summary: Type checking in Prolog Keywords: Prolog, typing, compiler efficiency Message-ID: <10822@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> Date: 24 Sep 89 19:31:09 GMT References: <27335@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> <869@gamera.cs.utexas.edu> Reply-To: axaris@cs.buffalo.edu (Vassilios Axaris) Organization: SUNY @ Buffalo Lines: 15 Hello, I have been surprized when I first got my Turbo Prolog compiler, in that I was required to specify the type of objects being used. Later, I realized that even though this was putting a burden on the programmer, as well as deviating from the standard, it could be (as it was I believe) useful in minimizing the runtime type checking of the objects, in Common Lisp manner. In today's RISC world, I think it would be very useful to include such declarations to aid the compiler in creating efficient code, by minimizing tag processing. How does the Prolog community feel about such an addition? Is it reasonable to do it for the sake of improved execution speed on workstation type environments? Vassilios E. Axaris SUNY/Buffalo Computer Engineering