On the Implementation of GNU Prolog

TL;DR

GNU Prolog is a native-code Prolog implementation that produces standalone executables, featuring a multipass compiler design and an integrated high-performance finite domain constraint solver, with considerations on design, performance, and standards.

Contribution

The paper details the design and implementation of GNU Prolog, highlighting its native-code compilation, system organization, and integrated constraint solver, which are novel features among Prolog systems.

Findings

Produces standalone executables without byte-code emulator

Features a multipass compiler with materialized intermediate representations

Includes an extensible, high-performance finite domain constraint solver

Abstract

GNU Prolog is a general-purpose implementation of the Prolog language, which distinguishes itself from most other systems by being, above all else, a native-code compiler which produces standalone executables which don't rely on any byte-code emulator or meta-interpreter. Other aspects which stand out include the explicit organization of the Prolog system as a multipass compiler, where intermediate representations are materialized, in Unix compiler tradition. GNU Prolog also includes an extensible and high-performance finite domain constraint solver, integrated with the Prolog language but implemented using independent lower-level mechanisms. This article discusses the main issues involved in designing and implementing GNU Prolog: requirements, system organization, performance and portability issues as well as its position with respect to other Prolog system implementations and the ISO standardization initiative.