Detecting stack-based environments in denotational definitions

AbstractWe present a statically checkable, sufficient, syntactic criterion for implementing the environment argument in a denotational definition as a global stack variable. We also show how such an environment can be implemented as a compile-time symbol table. If the denotational definition also supports a global store variable, the store can be implemented as run-time primary storage, and a conventional compile/evaluate implementation results. In addition to its value for implementation, the criterion is useful for understanding the relationship between functional and imperative programming language styles. We present two examples