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Binding Time and Storage Allocation: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

This document discusses binding time and storage allocation in programming languages. It covers different binding times like compile time, load time and run time and how they impact efficiency and flexibility. It also covers different storage allocation mechanisms like static allocation, stack-based allocation and heap-based allocation. Static allocation gives objects fixed addresses, stack allocation uses a last-in, first-out structure for parameters, and heap allocation allows dynamic memory management using operators like new and delete. Garbage collection automatically reclaims memory from unused objects.

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Ravi Porwal
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44 views

Binding Time and Storage Allocation: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

This document discusses binding time and storage allocation in programming languages. It covers different binding times like compile time, load time and run time and how they impact efficiency and flexibility. It also covers different storage allocation mechanisms like static allocation, stack-based allocation and heap-based allocation. Static allocation gives objects fixed addresses, stack allocation uses a last-in, first-out structure for parameters, and heap allocation allows dynamic memory management using operators like new and delete. Garbage collection automatically reclaims memory from unused objects.

Uploaded by

Ravi Porwal
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

COMP 144 Programming Language Concepts


Spring 2003

Binding Time and Storage Allocation


Stotts, Hernandez-Campos

Review: Compilation/Interpretation
Source Code

Compiler or Interpreter Translation Execution

Interpretation

Target Code
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Phases of Compilation

High-Level Programming Languages


Two main goals:
Machine independence Ease of programming

High-level programming language are independent of any particular instruction set


But compilation to assembly code requires a target instruction set There is a trade-off between machine independence and efficiency
E.g. Java vs. C

Ease of Programming
The driving problem in programming language design The rest of this class
Names Control Flow Types Subroutines Object Orientation Concurrency Declarative Programming

Programming Language

Naming
Naming is the process by which the programmer associates a name with a potentially complicated program fragment
The goal is to hide complexity Programming languages use name to designate variables, types, classes, methods, operators,

Naming provides abstraction


E.g. Mathematics is all about the formal notation (i.e. naming) that lets us explore more and more abstract concepts

Control and Data Abstraction


Control abstraction allows the programmer to hide an arbitrarily complicated code behind a simple interface
Subroutines Classes

Data Abstraction allows the programmer to hide data representation details behind abstract operations
ADTs Classes

Binding Time
A binding is an association between two things
E.g. Name of an object and the object

Binding time is the time at which a binding is created


Language design time Language implementation Program writing time Compile Time Link Time Load Time Run Time
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Binding Time Impact


Binding times have a crucial impact in programming languages
They are a fundamental design decision

In general, early binding is associated with greater efficiency


E.g. C string vs. Javas StringBuffer

In general, late binding is associated with greater flexibility


E.g. Class method vs. Subroutine

Compiled languages tend to bind names earlier than interpreted languages


9

Object Lifetime
Events in the life of an object
Creation Destruction Creation Destruction
A binding to an object that no longer exists is called a dangling reference

Object Lifetime

Events in the life of a binding

Deactivation and Reactivation

10

Storage Allocation Mechanisms


In static allocation, objects are given an absolute address that is retained throughout the programs execution
E.g. Global variables, Non-recursive Subroutine Parameters

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Static Allocation

12

Storage Allocation Mechanisms


In static allocation, (static) objects are given an absolute address that is retained throughout the programs execution
E.g. Global variables, Non-recursive Subroutine Parameters

In stack-based allocation, (stack) objects are allocated in last-in, first-out data structure, a stack.
E.g. Recursive subroutine parameters

13

Stack-based Allocation

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Calling Sequence
On procedure (method) call and return compiler generates code that gets executed to manage the runtime stack Setup at call to procedure doFoo(a,b)

Prologue before doFoo code itself


Epilogue at end of doFoo code Teardown in calling code right after call

15

Calling Sequence
Setup at call to procedure doFoo(a,b)
Move sp to allocate a new stack frame Copy args a,b into frame Copy return address into frame Set fp to point to new frame maintain static chain or display

Prolog before procedure code itself


Copy registers into local slots Object initialization

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Calling Sequence
Epilog at end of procedure code
Placing return value into slot in frame Restore registers Restore PC to return address

teardown in calling code right after call


Move sp (deallocate frame) Move fp using dynamic chain Maybe move return values (if in registers)

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Calling Sequence: Perl


In Perl you have to manages some of the calling sequence yourself
&doFoo($a, $b, \@ar5);

sub doFoo { my ($arg1, $arg2, $ref1) = @_ ; # aha! # not quite the same $@_[0] = 4; $@_[1] = $$@_[2][7]; # etc is ok
}

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Storage Allocation Mechanisms


In static allocation, (static) objects are given an absolute address that is retained throughout the programs execution
E.g. Global variables , Non-recursive Subroutine Parameters

In stack-based allocation, (stack) objects are allocated in last-in, first-out data structure, a stack.
E.g. Subroutine parameters

In heap-based allocation, (heap) objects may be allocated and deallocated at arbitrary times
E.g. objects created with C++ new and delete
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Heap-based Allocation
The heap is a region of storage in which subblock can be allocated and deallocated
This not the heap data structure

Oops no fit

20

Heap Space Management


In general, the heap is allocated sequentially This creates space fragmentation problems
Internal fragmentation
If size of object to allocated is larger than the size of the available heap Come from fixed size heap blocks

External fragmentation
If size of object to allocated is not larger than the size of the available heap, but the available space in the heap is scattered through heap in such a way that no contiguous space fits Comes from variable size blocks

21

Heap Space Management


Some languages (C) require (allow) explicit heap management
allocation and de-allocation of dynamic storage by the programmer

malloc, return
Easy to forget return Heap fills with objects no longer in use (dangling refs) Memory leaks heap gets exhausted

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Heap Space Management


Some languages (Java) manage the heap for you
new( ) object allocated on heap when done, the object storage is reclaimed

Automatic de-allocation after an object has no bindings/references is called garbage collection


E.g. Java some runtime efficiency hit no memory leaks

23

Sample Memory Layout

code

Globals, consts

runtime stack

(Ret add for inDo call)

heap

(direction of growth)
foo inDo p1 sum

Stack frame for inDo call

0000
R1 (pc) R2 (sp) R3 (fp)

6024
3125 217560 218380

6356

275000 Machine memory addresses

975000

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Reading Assignment
Scotts chapter 3
Section 3.1 Section 3.2

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