Title :
Confining imperative languages for parallel processing
Author :
Dai, Kechang ; Giloi, Wolfgang K.
Author_Institution :
GMD Res. Center for Innovative Comput. Syst. & Technol., Berlin, Germany
fDate :
30 Apr-2 May 1991
Abstract :
Imperative languages have built-in notions of global updatable variables. This has been claimed to be one of the major reasons why they are inferior to functional languages for parallel processing. The paper examines the `bilateral´ effects-side effects and aliasing-of updatable variables. While aliasing hinders code parallelization, side effects do not necessarily cause problems in parallel processing if a certain discipline, e.g. a high-level dataflow scheme, known as the LGDG computation, in their use is obeyed. Furthermore, a point is made for the exclusion of nested procedure declarations from parallel imperative languages, since they may cause serious aliasing and degrade locality of reference
Keywords :
parallel languages; LGDG computation; aliasing; global updatable variables; imperative languages; nested procedure declarations; parallel imperative languages; parallel processing; Artificial intelligence; Computer science; Concurrent computing; Data structures; Degradation; Natural languages; Parallel processing; Program processors; Programming profession; Speech;
Conference_Titel :
Parallel Processing Symposium, 1991. Proceedings., Fifth International
Conference_Location :
Anaheim, CA
Print_ISBN :
0-8186-9167-0
DOI :
10.1109/IPPS.1991.153839