abbreviation

Shorthand notation for type or subtype specification.

abnormal function

A function upon which common subexpression elimination may not be performed.

access method

Sequential or random file access.

activation

An elaboration of a task which can occur concurrent with other activations.

activation clock

Measures total real time that a particular activation has run

activation variable

Means for 'naming' an activation.

actual parameter

Expression in an invocation, bound to formal parameter in declaration of the invoked deferred unit.

allocation statement

Creates a dynamic variable.

assignable types

Those types for which assignment (:=) is defined.

attributes

Subtype constraints.

available definitions

For an open scope, all definitions known in the immediately enclosing scope. For a closed scope, all definitions, except variable, goto label, and matching identifier definitions, from the immediately enclosing scope, together with all imported definitions.

binding

Those types for which assignment (:=) is defined.

body

Possibly empty sequence of declarations, assertions, and statements.

closed scope

Scope which is similar to open scope, except that variable definitions only become available by being imported.

compound statement or declaration

Statement or declaration containing a body.

conditional translation

Selection, during translation, between alternative bodies or selection of a single union component to be present.

conflicting definitions

Definitions of the same name, among which a use of the name cannot discriminate.

constant

Data item, having a subtype, whose value cannot be modified.

constructor

Way of building a value of a record, union, array, or user-defined type.

dangerous sharing

Non-orderly use of a shared variable.

data item

Defined variables and constants, dynamic variables, readonly data items and temporary data items.

declaration

One form of language construct used for defining a name.

deferred declaration

A declaration which is elaborated when invoked, not when encountered.

deferred unit

The entity defined by a deferred declaration.

definition

Any way of associating a name with a language construct.

delaying

Non-busy waiting of an activation upon a clock value.

dot selection

Qualification to obtain component of record or union. Also used to dereference pointers.

dynamic variable

The variable pointed to by an indirect variable or constant.

elaboration

The action required at translation time and runtime to cause statement execution, expression evaluation, and declaration processing.

exception

An exception condition which can be raised and handled.

explicit overloading

Overloading which occurs by writing two definitions of the same name with different interfaces.

exported definitions

Definitions local to a capsule which may be made known outside the capsule.

exposing

Making exported names of a capsule known.

extermination

Raising X_TERMINATE in another activation.

external capsule

A capsule which was separately translated.

file

A variable of a FILE type which is associated with an ordered collection of components, all having the same type.

file use

Input, output, or update files.

flow diagrams

Syntactial description technique.

formal parameter

Placeholder within a deferred declaration.

generic constraint

Restricts the set of replacement elements which may be associated with a particular generic parameter.

generic overloading

Overloading which occurs when a deferred declaration is replicated generically.

generic parameter

Placeholder within a generic declaration.

generated set

All definitions created as a result of a generic declaration.

goto label

Used only as target of goto statement.

guarded body

Body of a guard statement in which an exception might be raised and, so, is protected.

handler

Part of a guard statement which specifies a body to be elaborated if a specific exception is raised during elaboration of the guarded body.

handling an exception

Terminating the guarded body in which the exception is raised, and attempting to find a handler for the exception.

immediate declaration

A declaration which is elaborated when encountered.

imported definitions

Variable definitions which become available to closed scopes through an imports list.

inactive activation variable

Way of building a value of a record, union, array, or user-defined type.

index

Counter for repeat statement.

indirect variable or constant

Typed pointer.

infix operator

operator (**, *, /, MOD, DIV, &, +, -, =, /=, <, <=, >, >=, IN, AND, OR, XOR) which takes two operands.

initialization

Assigning a first value to a data item.

inquiry

Operations which interrogate the type, subtype, or attributes of data items.

interface

Information, contained in both definitions and uses of overloaded names, which is used to associate a use with a single definition.

known in a scope

All definitions which can be associated with a use of a name within a scope. Includes all local definitions, plus all non-conflicting available definitions.

lifetime

The span of execution time that a construct exists.

literal

Token used to specify a value of a built-in or user-defined type.

local definitions

All definitions either defined in a scope, or exposed into it by a capsule invocation.

mailbox

Queue of messages used for inter-activation communication.

manifest expression

Expression which is elaborated during translation.

matching identifier

Used for documentation and as target of exit statement.

message passing

Transmittal of messages between activations by means of mailboxes.

mutual exclusion

Orderly access to shared variables accomplished via the region statement.

name

An identifier or definable symbol associated with defined language constructs.

needed name

A name which appears in a generic declaration, and is bound at point of invocation rather than point of generic declaration.

new capsule

A capsule whose invocation results in the elaboration of the capsule (and, therefore, creation of separate copies of local data).

new type

Type, defined by type declaration, distinct from all other types.

normal function

A function upon which common subexpression elimination may be done.

old capsule

A capsule whose invocation does not result in elaboration of the capsule.

open scope

Scopes following normal block-structured rules.

overloading

Association of a single name with multiple deferred units of the same kind.

own data

Data local to a capsule.

pattern declaration

The deferred declaration which is generically replicated.

physical file

A file on a storage medium, a physical device, or a file on a storage medium representing a physical device.

precedence

For operators, the relative strength of operand association.

prefix operator

Operator (+, -, NOT) which takes only a single operand.

primary

Expression operand.

priority

Absolute (rather than relative) importance of an activation.

raising an exception

Causing the occurrence of an exceptional condition which may be handled by a guard statement.

random file

A file which permits direct access to any component, regardless of its position with respect to other components.

range

A contiguous sequence of values of some type.

readonly data item

Variable whose use is restricted to access only in some contexts, but which may still be modified in other contexts.

real-time clock

Measures elapsed real-time since program began to run.

renaming

Changing of a name through a capsule invocation.

replacement element

The item which appears in an invocation, and is substituted for the corresponding generic parameter in the definition.

result type or subtype

Type or subtype of function result.

routine

Procedure, function, or operator.

scheduler

Determines which activation will next run. The built-in priority scheduler may be replaced with a user-defined scheduler.

sequential file

File which is processed by accessing each component in succession.

shared variable

A variable which is accessible to multiple activations.

side-effect

Modification of data by a function when the lifetime of the data is longer than the lifetime of the function invocation.

signature

Number, order, and types of parameters. Part of interface.

slice

Contiguous components contained within one dimensional array.

standard file

A file whose components do not have an enumeration type.

state of a file

Initial state (old or new) and final disposition (save or delete).

subscripting

Qualification to obtain component of array, or array slice.

subtype

Translation time and runtime properties of a data item.

subtype constraints

Round-bracketed information of subtype which can be left unresolved until runtime.

temporary data item

Data item whose lifetime is tied to its use, rather than to a scope. Includes the result of literals, constructors, functions, and attribute inquiry.

text file

A file whose components have an enumeration type.

translation time property list

Part of the interface of deferred declarations, used for resolving name conflicts.

type

Translation time properties of a data item.

type and subtype resolution

Determination of type and subtype of expression.

type checking

Verifying, at translation time, that two types are the same.

underlying subtype

Subtype specification used to define a new type.

underlying type

Type of underlying subtype.

underlying variable or constant

Representation (obtained by .ALL) of variable or constant of a new type. An underlying variable may also be the dynamic variable pointed to by an indirect variable or constant.

value labels

Labels of case statement.

variable

Data item, having a subtype, whose value can be modified. Includes defined and dynamic variables.

visible definitions

Definitions which are exported from a capsule and exposed by a capsule invocation.

waiting

Non-busy suspension of an activation until some event occurs.