Objects in a Higher-order Linear Logic Setting (extended Abstract)

In 5] some aspects of object-oriented programming have been reformulated in the higher-order Linear Logic framework, F&O, based on the language Forum 14]. In particular, it has been shown how to logically represent objects encapsulating method deenitions and how to describe metarules deening message passing and self-application, according to diierent computational models. A language based on such concepts, YahOO, has been designed and implemented in the higher-order language-Prolog, adding a form of inheritance which could be handled at the moment of the objects creation. In the paper, the above mentioned features are reformulated in the setting of a more general framework based on Linear Logic 6], suitable to describe operational aspects of programming languages. Diierently from the authors' previous proposal 5], inheritance is reconsidered by deening, in logical terms, a delegation-based mechanism with characteristics similar to the ones presented in 1, 7]. Furthermore, the representation of an object is modiied in order to preserve encapsulation of methods in the newly deened setting where objects can be dynamically extended. Introduction to the logical aspects. The starting point of the case study presented in the