Optimizing first class environments
Rajan Walia
Abstract
In this talk we will look at the semantics of first-class environments using a CEK abstract machine and how to implement them efficiently in a RPython framework. We will start with writing a simple interpreter in Python and then add a tracing JIT using RPython. We will then add first class environments to our implementation and look at the different ways in which we can optimize them.
RPython is a metatracing framework which automatically generates a tracing JIT given a simple interpreter. RPython is currently used to develop PyPy and Pycket which are high performance JIT’s for Python and Racket respectively. We will look at how we can use this framework to implement a tracing JIT for our simple language while using similar ideas as Pycket.