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d0061e18c2 WIP 2021-05-18 23:54:35 +01:00
c28aef1c9e Notes on why first-class control matters 2021-05-18 23:45:20 +01:00

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@@ -394,20 +394,43 @@ In this dissertation I am concerned only with
parameterised handlers which are a slight variation of deep handlers.
\section{Why first-class control matters}
From the perspective of programmers first-class control is a valuable
programming feature because it enables them to implement their own
control idioms as if they were native to the programming
language. More important with first-class control programmer-defined
control idioms are local phenomena which can be encapsulated in a
library such that the rest of the program does not need to be made
aware of their existence. Conversely, without first-class control some
control idioms can only be implemented using global program
restructuring techniques such as continuation passing style.
\subsection{Flavours of control}
\paragraph{Undelimited control}
\paragraph{Delimited control}
\paragraph{Composable control}
From the perspective of compiler engineers first-class control is
valuable because it unifies several control-related constructs under
one single construct. First-class control can be beneficial for
implementing programming languages which have no notion of first-class
control in source language. A runtime with support for first-class
control can considerably simplify and ease maintainability of an
implementation of a programming language with various distinct
second-class control idioms such as async/await, coroutines, etc,
because compiler engineers need only implement and maintain a single
control mechanism rather than having to implement and maintain
individual runtime support for each control idiom of the source
language.
% \subsection{Flavours of control}
% \paragraph{Undelimited control}
% \paragraph{Delimited control}
% \paragraph{Composable control}
\subsection{Why effect handlers matter}
\section{State of effectful programming}
The evolution of effectful programming has gone through several
characteristic phases. In this section I will provide a brief overview
of how effectful programming has evolved as well as providing a brief
introduction to the core concepts concerned with each phase.
characteristic time periods. In this section I will provide a brief
programming perspective on how effectful programming has evolved as
well as providing an informal introduction to the core concepts
concerned with each time period.
\subsection{Early days of direct-style}