research-article

Exploring the semantic gap in compiling embedded DSLs

Authors:

Herbert Jordan,

Philipp Gschwandtner,

Thomas FahringerAuthors Info & Claims

SAMOS '18: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Embedded Computer Systems: Architectures, Modeling, and Simulation

Pages 195 - 201

https://doi.org/10.1145/3229631.3239371

Published: 15 July 2018 Publication History

Abstract

Optimizing compilers provide valuable contributions to the quality of processed code. The vast majority of application developers rely on those capabilities to obtain binary code efficiently utilizing processing resources. However, compiler proficiency is frequently misjudged by application developers. While for some constellations the effectiveness of those optimizations is grossly underestimated, for others, mostly involving higher-level semantic concepts of embedded DSLs, the compilers' influence on the code quality tends to disappoint.

In this paper, we provide examples for the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of state-of-the-art optimizing compilers in improving application code. Based on those observations we characterize the differences between positive and negative examples and provide an in-depth explanation for the short-comings of optimizing compilers. Furthermore, we present a semantic-aware compiler architecture rectifying those deficiencies and outline several example use cases demonstrating our architecture's ability to contribute to the efficiency and the capabilities of embedded DSLs.

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Cited By

Matos JBispo JSousa L(2024)A C Subset for Ergonomic Source-to-Source Analyses and TransformationsProceedings of the 16th Workshop on Rapid Simulation and Performance Evaluation for Design10.1145/3642921.3642922(1-8)Online publication date: 18-Jan-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3642921.3642922

Index Terms

Exploring the semantic gap in compiling embedded DSLs
1. Software and its engineering
  1. Software notations and tools
    1. Compilers
    2. Context specific languages
      1. API languages
      2. Domain specific languages
2. Theory of computation
  1. Semantics and reasoning
    1. Program reasoning
      1. Program analysis

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cover image ACM Other conferences

SAMOS '18: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Embedded Computer Systems: Architectures, Modeling, and Simulation

July 2018

263 pages

ISBN:9781450364942

DOI:10.1145/3229631

General Chair:
Trevor Mudge
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
,
Program Chair:
Dionisios N. Pnevmatikatos
Technical University of Crete and ICS - FORTH, Greece

Copyright © 2018 ACM.

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 15 July 2018

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European Union

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SAMOS XVIII

SAMOS XVIII: Architectures, Modeling, and Simulation

July 15 - 19, 2018

Pythagorion, Greece

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Cited By

Matos JBispo JSousa L(2024)A C Subset for Ergonomic Source-to-Source Analyses and TransformationsProceedings of the 16th Workshop on Rapid Simulation and Performance Evaluation for Design10.1145/3642921.3642922(1-8)Online publication date: 18-Jan-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3642921.3642922

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