Generalizing Parametricity Using Information-flow

Run-time type analysis allows programmers to easily and concisely define operations based upon type structure, such as serialization, iterators, and structural equality. However, when types can be inspected at run time, nothing is secret. A module writer cannot use type abstraction to hide implementation details from clients: clients can determine the structure of these ly “abstract” data types. Furthermore, access control mechanisms do not help isolate ementation of abstract datatypes from their clients. Buggy or malicious authorized modules may leak type information to unauthorized clients, so module implementors cannot reliably tell which parts of a program rely on their type definitions. Currently, module implementors rely on parametric polymorphism to provide integrity

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: LICS
• Authors: Geoffrey Washburn, Stephanie Weirich
• Keywords: Computer Science, LICS 2005