The JaSpe specializer: an algorithm of intra-procedural binding time analysis for programs in Java language subset

A binding-time analysis in partial evaluation aimed at optimizing programs divides software constructs into static and dynamic. A specializer executes static constructs, and transfer dynamic ones into the resulting code. Currently, partial evaluation is mainly used for the non-trivial compilation of programs without a compiler, with only an interpreter and a specializer. As previous studies have shown, the effectiveness of such an application of the partial evaluation method significantly depends on the quality of the program annotation obtained by performing the binding-time analysis.
The paper is devoted to the features of the binding-time analysis algorithm. The features that arose during algorithm implementation for the widespread object-oriented Java language within the JaSpe specializer developed by the authors of this publication. The paper describes the basic concepts of the binding-time analysis implemented and the intra-procedural version of the algorithm. The article also discusses the algorithm details related to the program constructs that use reference data types.
Apart from previous counterparts for object-oriented languages, this algorithm non-trivially handles some language constructs: branches (if, switch), loops (for, while, do), and block instructions that contain a sequence of other instructions. Unlike the similar algorithms that work with imperative and functional languages, the considered algorithm uses the BT-objects, which allow specializer to obtain more accurate annotation (with a higher fraction of static constructs) when processing object-oriented programs. Another feature of this algorithm is the focus on interactivity and readability of results.