Domain-specific Languages in a Finite Domain Constraint Programming System

TL;DR

This paper introduces domain-specific languages for finite domain constraint programming in Prolog, enhancing specification clarity, reducing runtime overhead, and potentially improving solver correctness and efficiency.

Contribution

The paper presents novel DSLs for constraint programming that simplify implementation, improve readability, and optimize performance of finite domain solvers.

Findings

DSLs enable concise and readable specifications

Specifications are translated to Prolog code at compile time

Potential improvements in correctness, conciseness, and efficiency

Abstract

In this paper, we present domain-specific languages (DSLs) that we devised for their use in the implementation of a finite domain constraint programming system, available as library(clpfd) in SWI-Prolog and YAP-Prolog. These DSLs are used in propagator selection and constraint reification. In these areas, they lead to concise specifications that are easy to read and reason about. At compilation time, these specifications are translated to Prolog code, reducing interpretative run-time overheads. The devised languages can be used in the implementation of other finite domain constraint solvers as well and may contribute to their correctness, conciseness and efficiency.