16084483
Why Functional Programming Matters
As software becomes more and more complex, it is more and more important to structure it well. Well-structured software is easy to write and to debug, and provides a collection of modules that can be reused to reduce future programming costs. In this paper we show that two features of functional languages in particular, higher-order functions and lazy evaluation, can contribute significantly to modularity. As examples, we manipulate lists and trees, program several numerical algorithms, and implement the alpha-beta heuristic (an algorithm from Artificial Intelligence used in game-playing programs). We conclude that since modularity is the key to successful programming, functional programming oers important advantages for software development.
218895568
How to give a good research talk
Giving a good research talk is not easy. We try to identify some things which we have found helpful, in the hope that they may be useful to you.
14958709
Making choices lazily
We present a natural semantics that models the untyped, normal order A-calculus plus McCarthy’s amb in the context of call-by-need parameter passing. This results in a singular semantics for amb. Previous work on singular choice has concentrated on erratic choice, a less interesting nondeterministic choice operator, and only in relation to callby-value parameter passing, or call-by-name restricted to deterministic terms. The natural semantics contains rules for both convergent and divergent behaviour, allowing it to distinguish programs that differ only in their divergent behaviour. As a result, it is more discriminating than current domain-theoretic models. This, and the fact that it models singular amb, makes the natural semantics suitable for reasoning about lazy, functional languages containing McCarthy’s amb.
8161135
Binding-Time Analysis for Polymorphic Types
Offline partial evaluators specialise programs with annotations which distinguish specialisation-time (or static) computations from run-time ones. These annotations are generated by a binding-time analyser, via type inference in a suitable type-system. Henglein and Mossin developed a type system which allows polymorphism in binding-times, so that the same code can be specialised with different computations being static at different uses. We extend their work to permit polymorphism in types as well. This is particularly important for separately compiled libraries.Following Henglein and Mossin, binding-times are passed as parameters during specialisation, but types are not. Instead, we pass coercion functions when necessary, which makes specialisation less "interpretive" than it would otherwise be. We keep track of the coercions needed by assigning qualified types to polymorphic functions.We also consider hand-annotations to provide limited user control over the binding-time analysis, which our prototype implementation showed to be necessary.
27745403
Type Specialisation for the lambda-Calculus; or, A New Paradigm for Partial Evaluation Based on Type Inference
14804186
Proving the correctness of reactive systems using sized types
We have designed and implemented a type-based analysis for proving some basic properties of reactive systems. The analysis manipulates rich type expressions that contain information about the sizes of recursively defined data structures. Sized types are useful for detecting deadlocks, nontermination, and other errors in embedded programs. To establish the soundness of the analysis we have developed an appropriate semantic model of sized types.
5091350
Orientable textures for image-based pen-and-ink illustration
We present an interactive system for creating pen-and-ink-style line drawings from greyscale images in which the strokes of the rendered illustration follow the features of the original image. The user, via new interaction techniques for editing a direction field, specifies an orientation for each region of the image; the computer draws oriented strokes, based on a user-specified set of example strokes, that achieve the same tone as the image via a new algorithm that compares an adaptively-blurred version of the current illustration to the target tone image. By aligning the direction field with surface orientations of the objects in the image, the user can create textures that appear attached to those objects instead of merely conveying their darkness. The result is a more compelling pen-and-ink illustration than was previously possible from 2D reference imagery. CR
6983775
Modeling surfaces of arbitrary topology using manifolds
Manifolds describe complicated objects that are locally $\Re\sp{n}$ by defining a set of overlapping maps from the object to $\Re\sp{n}$. In this thesis we present a general technique for inverting that process: we define a complicated object from a set of overlapping subsets of $\Re\sp{n}$. We first present a constructive definition that describes how to perform such a construction in general. We then apply this construction to the particular problem of defining surfaces of arbitrary topology. The surface is built in two steps: we build a manifold with the correct topology then embed the manifold into $\Re\sp3$ using traditional spline techniques. The surface inherits many of the properties of B-splines: local control, a compact representation, and guaranteed continuity of arbitrary degree. The surface is specified using a polyhedral control mesh instead of a rectangular one; the resulting surface approximates the polyhedral mesh much as a B-spline approximates its rectangular control mesh. Like a B-spline, the surface is a single, continuous object.
15620342
Autocalibration for virtual environments tracking hardware
We describe two instances in which precise mechanical calibration of virtual environments equipment has been replaced by automated algorithmic calibration through software that encapsulates the hardware design and uses a goal-based approach to adjust calibration parameters. We describe a back-projection system for adjusting the assumed locations of beacons in a head-mounted display tracking system; the calculated errors in the navigation system are used to compute adjustments to the beacon positions to reduce such errors. In a second application, a piggyback headtracking/hand-tracking system is calibrated by a similar reduction of computed errors.
2239491
Voice as sound: using non-verbal voice input for interactive control
We describe the use of non-verbal features in voice for direct control of interactive applications. Traditional speech recognition interfaces are based on an indirect, conversational model. First the user gives a direction and then the system performs certain operation. Our goal is to achieve more direct, immediate interaction like using a button or joystick by using lower-level features of voice such as pitch and volume. We are developing several prototype interaction techniques based on this idea, such as "control by continuous voice", "rate-based parameter control by pitch," and "discrete parameter control by tonguing." We have implemented several prototype systems, and they suggest that voice-as-sound techniques can enhance traditional voice recognition approach.
17667421
Assessing undergraduate experience of continuous integration and test-driven development
A number of agile practices are included in software engineering curricula, including test-driven development. Continuous integration often is not included, despite it becoming increasingly common in industry to code, test, and integrate at the same time. This paper describes a study whereby software engineering undergraduates were given a short intensive experience of test-driven development with continuous integration using an environment that imitated a typical industrial circumstance. Assessment was made of students' agile experience rather than of project deliverables, using a novel set of process measures that examined students' participation and performance in agile testing. Results showed good participation by student pairs, and clear understanding of agile processes and configuration management. Future work will investigate automation of the assessment of continuous integration and configuration management server data.