a scheme for implementing functional values on a stack machine
In this paper we describe a relatively simple method for handling partial application and function valued expressions in applicative (functional) programming languages. In essence, the approach defers evaluation of function valued expressions until sufficient arguments have been accumulated to reduce the expression to a basic (non-functional) value. This results in a stack-like environment structure, and thus obviates the need for the more complex environment management schemes used for the tree-like environment structures created by standard evaluators.
scheme functional value value paper method applications express language evaluation argument environments structure complexity management standardization tree values functional programming