A Comparative Revisitation of Some Program Transformation Techniques

. We revisit the main techniques of program transformation which are used in partial evaluation, mixed computation, supercompilation, generalized partial computation, rule-based program derivation, program specialization, compiling control, and the like. We present a methodology which underlines these techniques as a `common pattern of reasoning' and explains the various correspondences which can be established among them. This methodology consists of three steps: i) symbolic computation, ii) search for regularities, and iii) program extraction. We also discuss some control issues which occur when performing these steps. 1 Introduction During the past years researchers working in various areas of program transformation, such as partial evaluation, mixed computation, supercompilation, generalized partial computation, rule-based program derivation, program specialization, and compiling control, have been using very similar techniques for the development and derivation of programs. Unfor..