Powerlang is a framework for easily creating and implementing programming languages by providing tools for bootstrapping, debugging, compiling, and optimizing new languages. It includes a minimal virtual machine with primitives and garbage collection that allows for bit-by-bit reproducibility and small deployment size. Powerlang also enables debugging of incomplete language systems at both the high and low levels through simulation of remote execution.

1. Powerlang: a Vehicle for Lively
Implementing Programming
Languages
Javier Pimás

2. What does it take to create a PL?
● Compiler
− Parser
− Scanner
− Execution Semantics
− Assembler
● Virtual Machine
− Primitives
− Garbage Collection

3. What does it take to create a PL?
● Bootstrapping
− Executable image
● Debugging
− Remote execution
− Simulation

4. Current approaches
● Other existing VM
● Metacompilation frameworks
● Micro VMs
● Write your own
● Powerlang

5. Bootstrapping
● Minimal initial effort
● Bit-by-bit reproducibility
● Minimal deploy size

6. Simulation and Debugging
● Incomplete systems should be debuggable
● Both high- and low-level debugging

7. Compiling and Optimizing
● Provide compilation tooling
● How to model of language behavior?
● m
● ^self foo
● #(1 #(9 #(5 1 #(3 6))))

8. Current and Future work
● github.com/melkyades/powerlang
● MIT license
● Initial proof-of-concept Smalltalk code
● Two VM implementations
− DMR fully dynamic VM
− eclipse OMR

9. Powerlang on top of the
eclipse OMR
Jan Vraný

10. Demo

11. Questions?