A generalized control structure and its formal definition Journal Articles

abstract

• A new programming language control structure as well as an improved approach to a formal definition of programming languages are presented. The control structure can replace both iteration and conditional structures. Because it is a semantic generalization of those structures, a single statement using the new control structure can implement the functions of loops, conditionals, and also programs that would require several conventional constructs. As a consequence of this increased capability, it is possible to write algorithms that are simpler, more efficient, and more clearly correct than those that can be written with earlier structured-programming control structures. In order to provide a precise definition of the new constructs, a new version of relational semantics, called LD - relations is presented. An algebra of these relations is developed and used to define the meaning of the new constructs. A short discussion of program development and the history of control structures is included.

authors

• Parnas, David

status

• published 

publication date

• August 1983

has subject area

• 08 Information and Computing Sciences (FoR)
• Information Systems (Science Metrix)

published in

• Communications of the ACM  Journal

keywords

• 46 Information and Computing Sciences
• 4602 Artificial Intelligence

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1145/358161.358168

start page

• 572

end page

• 581

volume

• 26

issue

• 8