A First-Order One-Pass CPS Transformation

We present a new transformation of call-by-value lambda-terms into continuation-passing style (CPS). This transformation operates in one pass and is both compositional and first-order. Because it operates in one pass, it directly yields compact CPS programs that are comparable to what one would write by hand. Because it is compositional, it allows proofs by structural induction. Because it is first-order, reasoning about it does not require the use of a logical relation. This new CPS transformation connects two separate lines of research. It has already been used to state a new and simpler correctness proof of a direct-style transformation, and to develop a new and simpler CPS transformation of control-flow information. ∗Extended version of an article to appear in the proceedings of FOSSACS’02, Grenoble, France, April 2002. †Basic Research in Computer Science (www.brics.dk), funded by the Danish National Research Foundation. ‡Ny Munkegade, Building 540, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. E-mail: {danvy,lrn}@brics.dk