Article

An operational semantics and type safety prooffor multiple inheritance in C++

Authors:

Daniel Wasserrab,

Gregor Snelting,

Frank TipAuthors Info & Claims

OOPSLA '06: Proceedings of the 21st annual ACM SIGPLAN conference on Object-oriented programming systems, languages, and applications

Pages 345 - 362

https://doi.org/10.1145/1167473.1167503

Published: 16 October 2006 Publication History

Abstract

We present an operational semantics and type safety proof for multiple inheritance in C++. The semantics models the behaviour of method calls, field accesses, and two forms of casts in C++ class hierarchies exactly, and the type safety proof was formalized and machine-checked in Isabelle/HOL. Our semantics enables one, for the first time, to understand the behaviour of operations on C++ class hierarchies without referring to implementation-level artifacts such as virtual function tables. Moreover, it can - as the semantics is executable - act as a reference for compilers, and it can form the basis for more advanced correctness proofs of, e.g., automated program transformations. The paper presents the semantics and type safety proof, and a discussion of the many subtleties that we encountered in modeling the intricate multiple inheritance model of C++.

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Cited By

Stroustrup B(2020)Thriving in a crowded and changing world: C++ 2006–2020Proceedings of the ACM on Programming Languages10.1145/33863204:HOPL(1-168)Online publication date: 12-Jun-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3386320
Bischof SBreitner JLohner DSnelting G(2018)Illi Isabellistes Se Custodes Egregios PraestabantPrincipled Software Development10.1007/978-3-319-98047-8_17(267-282)Online publication date: 24-Oct-2018
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98047-8_17
Colvin R(2014)An operational semantics for object-oriented concepts based on the class hierarchyFormal Aspects of Computing10.1007/s00165-012-0259-y26:3(491-535)Online publication date: 1-May-2014
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s00165-012-0259-y
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

An operational semantics and type safety prooffor multiple inheritance in C++
1. Software and its engineering
  1. Software notations and tools
    1. Formal language definitions
      1. Semantics
    2. General programming languages
      1. Language features
        Inheritance
2. Theory of computation
  1. Semantics and reasoning
    1. Program constructs
      1. Type structures
    2. Program semantics
      1. Operational semantics

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Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

OOPSLA '06: Proceedings of the 21st annual ACM SIGPLAN conference on Object-oriented programming systems, languages, and applications

October 2006

514 pages

ISBN:1595933484

DOI:10.1145/1167473

General Chair:
Peri Tarr
IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, USA
,
Program Chairs:
William R. Cook
University of Texas at Austin, USA
,
Robert Biddle
Carleton University, Canada
,
Richard P. Gabriel
Sun Microsystems Laboratories

ACM SIGPLAN Notices Volume 41, Issue 10
Proceedings of the 2006 OOPSLA Conference
October 2006
480 pages
ISSN:0362-1340
EISSN:1558-1160
DOI:10.1145/1167515
Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © 2006 ACM.

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Published: 16 October 2006

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Cited By

Stroustrup B(2020)Thriving in a crowded and changing world: C++ 2006–2020Proceedings of the ACM on Programming Languages10.1145/33863204:HOPL(1-168)Online publication date: 12-Jun-2020
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3386320
Bischof SBreitner JLohner DSnelting G(2018)Illi Isabellistes Se Custodes Egregios PraestabantPrincipled Software Development10.1007/978-3-319-98047-8_17(267-282)Online publication date: 24-Oct-2018
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98047-8_17
Colvin R(2014)An operational semantics for object-oriented concepts based on the class hierarchyFormal Aspects of Computing10.1007/s00165-012-0259-y26:3(491-535)Online publication date: 1-May-2014
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s00165-012-0259-y
Lu ZSteinmuller CMukhopadhyay S(2013)Towards Formal Verification of a Commercial Wireless Router FirmwareProceedings of the 2013 IEEE 37th Annual Computer Software and Applications Conference10.1109/COMPSAC.2013.103(639-647)Online publication date: 22-Jul-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1109/COMPSAC.2013.103
Solodkyy YDos Reis GStroustrup B(2012)Open and efficient type switch for C++ACM SIGPLAN Notices10.1145/2398857.238468647:10(963-982)Online publication date: 19-Oct-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2398857.2384686
Solodkyy YDos Reis GStroustrup BLeavens GDwyer M(2012)Open and efficient type switch for C++Proceedings of the ACM international conference on Object oriented programming systems languages and applications10.1145/2384616.2384686(963-982)Online publication date: 19-Oct-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2384616.2384686
Ramananandro TDos Reis GLeroy XField JHicks M(2012)A mechanized semantics for C++ object construction and destruction, with applications to resource managementProceedings of the 39th annual ACM SIGPLAN-SIGACT symposium on Principles of programming languages10.1145/2103656.2103718(521-532)Online publication date: 25-Jan-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2103656.2103718
Ellison CRosu G(2012)An executable formal semantics of C with applicationsACM SIGPLAN Notices10.1145/2103621.210371947:1(533-544)Online publication date: 25-Jan-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2103621.2103719
Ramananandro TDos Reis GLeroy X(2012)A mechanized semantics for C++ object construction and destruction, with applications to resource managementACM SIGPLAN Notices10.1145/2103621.210371847:1(521-532)Online publication date: 25-Jan-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2103621.2103718
Batty MMemarian KOwens SSarkar SSewell P(2012)Clarifying and compiling C/C++ concurrencyACM SIGPLAN Notices10.1145/2103621.210371747:1(509-520)Online publication date: 25-Jan-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2103621.2103717
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