FLIP : functional-plus-logic programming on an integrated platform

Abstract

In FLIP, a novel approach to the integration of relational and functional languages on the basis of abstract machines (in the context of the RELFUN language and implementation) is described. This integration is carried out for several reasons: to combine two declarative paradigms into a more expressive one, to allow existing software libraries in relational and functional (here LL, a COMMON LISP derivative) languages to be used together without the need of re-implementation, to speed up relational programs by transforming deterministic relations into functions, and to enhance the expressiveness of relational languages by new extra-logicals with the help of functions. The integration is performed on two levels: 1. on the abstract machine level (the WAM, the abstract machine behind most implementations of relational languages, and the LLAMA, an abstract machine especially designed for the efficient execution of LL, are coupled), and 2. on the source language level (LL functions are accessible from relations and vice versa). One of the major points of this work is the detection and transformation of deterministic relations (into LL functions), resulting in a speed-up factor of 2-4. For this, a theoretical foundation for deterministic relations and several intermediate representation languages for the transformation process are developed.