Ask HN: What algorithm is commonly used in Static Scope implementation

1 points by ejanus 11y ago ↗ HN

I am currently trying to understand programming language design, and I am also reading source codes of a couple of languages. I would need help in understanding how Static Scope is implemented. Are there some popular algorithms out there I might need to go through? Any links? And if there is someone out there currently designing and implementing a language who won't mind having a mentee (online)?

1 comment

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andrewchambers 11y ago ↗

Scoping is literally just a sequential list of associative lists to check in order. Nothing more than that.

Its simple to implement as a stack of hash tables, pushing a new hash table onto the stack when entering a scope, popping one off when you leave the scope. declarations add entries into the hash table at the top of the stack. Lookups traverse the stack top to bottom.