An automata-theoretic model of objects
Uday Reddy and Brian Dunphy
Abstract
In this paper, we present a new model of class-based Algol-like programming
languages inspired by automata-theoretic concepts. The model may be seen as
a variant of the "object-based" model previously proposed by by Reddy,
where objects are described by their observable behaviour in terms of
events, and state-based models studied by Reynolds, Oles, Tennent and
O'Hearn where objects are not explicitly represented. The idea is to view
objects as automata which are described from the outside through their
observable behaviour while, internally, their operations are represented as
state transformations. In this fashion, we are able to combine both the
state-based and event-based views of objects. We illustrate the efficacy of
the model by proving several test equivalences and discuss its connections
to the previous models.
Presented at FOOL 2011; Sunday, 23 October 2011;
Portland, Oregon, USA