A Backward Analysis for Constraint Logic Programs

Title: A Backward Analysis for Constraint Logic Programs

Research Question: How can we infer the moding properties of a logic program to avoid instantiation errors when querying the program?

Methodology: The authors propose an abstract interpretation scheme that automates the process of tracing control flow backward (right-to-left) to infer useful properties of initial queries. This scheme is applicable to logic programs with certain computational properties, such as the ability to condense control flow information.

Results: The paper presents an analysis that can infer moding properties which, if satisfied by the initial query, come with the guarantee that the program and query can never generate any moding or instantiation errors. The authors provide a correctness argument and an implementation report.

Implications: This backward analysis can help logic programmers understand how to query a program developed by another programmer without generating instantiation errors. It can also be applied to other analysis problems, such as deducing how to call a program so that it conforms to a desired property.

Link to Article: https://arxiv.org/abs/0201011v1 Authors: arXiv ID: 0201011v1