A BMF FOR SEMANTICS

Abstract

We show how the Bird-Meertens formalism (BMF) can be based on continuous algebras such that finite and infinite datatypes may peacefully coexist. Until recently the theory could only deal with either finite datatypes (= initial algebra) or infinite datatypes (= final co-algebra). In the context of continuous algebras the initial algebra coincides with the final co-algebra. Elements of this algebra can be finite, infinite or partial. We intend to use EBMF for semantics directed compiler generation by combining initial algebra semantics with the calculational power of BMF.