Paper Details

Another Side of SPoC: occam's ALTer Ego Dissected with PC-lint

Authors: Teig, Øyvind

Abstract:

26500 lines of Standard C (ANSI C) generated from occam sources by the Southampton Portable occam Compiler (SPoC) has been analysed by the static analysis tool PC-lint. The target machine is a TMS320C32 DSP where all (the supported) C\'s primitive data types are mapped to 32 bit read and writes. This architecture stretches "ANSI" C quite a bit, but the "portable" occam compiler promised to handle it. Even if we had experienced no problems with the generated code and it compiled with all error handling enabled, we had to insert some 15-20 different global PC-lint filters plus local filters via in-line C in the occam sources. This was in addition to the base-level filters we also used for hand-written C. It kept PC-lint quiet, for individual C files as well as "global wrap up". By discussing each individual filter we arrive at the conclusion that none hid errors in the generated C. The analysis revealed a few points where the occam language definition could have been made stricter. We would like to PC-lint the generated sources with fewer messages disabled - changes to SPoC are therefore suggested. Altogether SPoC seems to have passed this test quite well. Even if we have no expertise to modify the (open) SPoC sources, this report could be considered as contributing to a prospective "Bazaar" development model - to bring forward an even more robust compiler for a portable and perhaps prospering occam language.

Proceedings:

Proceedings of WoTUG-22: Architectures, Languages and Techniques for Concurrent Systems, Barry M. Cook, 1999, pp 19 - 36 published by IOS Press, Amsterdam

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