Using parametric set constraints for locating errors in CLP programs

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel framework using parametric set constraints for identifying type errors in constraint logic programming, enhancing debugging capabilities with a formal, sound approach and a prototype tool.

Contribution

It introduces parametric descriptive directional types and a verification method for locating type errors in CLP programs, extending previous monomorphic type techniques.

Findings

Prototype debugging tool successfully identifies type errors.

Verification conditions are effectively checked using set-constraint techniques.

The approach is proven sound and applicable to examples.

Abstract

This paper introduces a framework of parametric descriptive directional types for constraint logic programming (CLP). It proposes a method for locating type errors in CLP programs and presents a prototype debugging tool. The main technique used is checking correctness of programs w.r.t. type specifications. The approach is based on a generalization of known methods for proving correctness of logic programs to the case of parametric specifications. Set-constraint techniques are used for formulating and checking verification conditions for (parametric) polymorphic type specifications. The specifications are expressed in a parametric extension of the formalism of term grammars. The soundness of the method is proved and the prototype debugging tool supporting the proposed approach is illustrated on examples. The paper is a substantial extension of the previous work by the same authors concerning monomorphic directional types.