Towards a Study of Meta-Predicate Semantics

TL;DR

This paper compares different design choices for meta-predicate semantics in Prolog and Logtalk, analyzing their implications on expressiveness, safety, portability, and performance to inform better implementation and usage practices.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive comparison of meta-predicate semantics across systems, highlighting the practical consequences of various design decisions.

Findings

Different semantics affect meta-predicate safety and portability.

Design choices influence expressiveness and performance.

Insights aid in debating and improving meta-predicate implementations.

Abstract

We describe and compare design choices for meta-predicate semantics, as found in representative Prolog module systems and in Logtalk. We look at the consequences of these design choices from a pragmatic perspective, discussing explicit qualification semantics, computational reflection support, expressiveness of meta-predicate declarations, safety of meta-predicate definitions, portability of meta-predicate definitions, and meta-predicate performance. Our aim is to provide useful insight for debating meta-predicate semantics and portability issues based on actual implementations and common usage patterns.