Compiling with continuations, continued

Abstract

We present a series of CPS-based intermediate languages suitable for functional language compilation, arguing that they have practical benefits over direct-style languages based on A-normal form (ANF) or monads. Inlining of functions demonstrates the benefits most clearly: in ANF-based languages, inlining involves a re-normalization step that rearranges let expressions and possibly introduces a new 'join point' function, and in monadic languages, commuting conversions must be applied; in contrast, inlining in our CPS language is a simple substitution of variables for variables.