Name resolution (programming languages): Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Matching of lexical tokens to the components of a computer program}}

{{see also|Name resolution (computer systems)}}

In [[programming language]]s, '''name resolution''' is the resolution of the tokens[[lexical analysis|token]]s within program expressions to the intended program components.

==Overview==

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In [[programming language]]s, name resolution can be performed either at [[compile time]] or at [[Run time (program lifecycle phase)|runtime]]. The former is called '''static name resolution''', the latter is called '''dynamic name resolution'''.

A somewhat common misconception is that [[dynamic typing]] implies dynamic name resolution. However, static typing does imply static name resolution. For example, [[Erlang (programming language)|Erlang]] is dynamically typed but has static name resolution. However, static typing does imply static name resolution.

Static name resolution catches, at compile time, use of variables that are not in scope; preventing programmer errors. Languages with dynamic scope resolution sacrifice this safety for more flexibility; they can typically set and get variables in the same scope at runtime.

For example, in the [[Python (programming language)|Python]] interactive [[REPL]]:

<sourcesyntaxhighlight lang="pycon">

>>> number = 99

>>> first_noun = "problems"

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I got 99 problems but a hound ain't one.

</syntaxhighlight>

</source>

However, relying on dynamic name resolution in code is discouraged by the Python community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-ideas/2009-May/004582.html|title=<nowiki>[</nowiki>Python-Ideas<nowiki>]</nowiki> str.format utility function|date=9 May 2009|accessdateaccess-date=2011-01-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://diveintopython.org/html_processing/dictionary_based_string_formatting.html|title=8.6. Dictionary-based string formatting|work=diveintopython.org|publisher=Mark Pilgrim|accessdateaccess-date=2011-01-23}}</ref> The feature also may be removed in a later version of Python.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/classes.html#python-scopes-and-namespaces|title=9. Classes - Python documentation |quote=It is important to realize that scopes are determined textually: the global scope of a function defined in a module is that module’s namespace, no matter from where or by what alias the function is called. On the other hand, the actual search for names is done dynamically, at run time — however, the language definition is evolving towards static name resolution, at “compile”"compile" time, so don’t rely on dynamic name resolution! (In fact, local variables are already determined statically.)|accessdateaccess-date=2019-07-24}}</ref>

Examples of languages that use static name resolution include [[C (programming language)|C]], [[C++]], [[E (programming language)|E]], [[Erlang (programming language)|Erlang]], [[Haskell (programming language)|Haskell]], [[Java (programming language)|Java]], [[Pascal (programming language)|Pascal]], [[Scheme (programming language)|Scheme]], and [[Smalltalk]]. Examples of languages that use dynamic name resolution include some [[Lisp (programming language)|Lisp]] dialects, [[Perl]], [[PHP]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]], [[REBOLRebol]], and [[Tcl]].

==Name masking==

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For example, the parameter "foo" shadows the local variable "foo" in this common pattern:

<sourcesyntaxhighlight lang="java">

private int foo; // Name "foo" is declared in the outer scope

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return foo;

}

</syntaxhighlight>

</source>

Name masking can cause [[Function overloading#Complications|complications in function overloading]], due to overloading not happening across scopes in some languages, notably C++, thus requiring all overloaded functions to be redeclared or explicitly imported into a given namespace.

==Alpha renaming to make name resolution trivial==

In programming languages with [[lexical scoping]] that do not [[reflectionReflective (computer science)programming|reflect]] over variable names, [[Lambda calculus#.CE.B1-conversion|α-conversion]] (or α-renaming) can be used to make name resolution easy by finding a substitution that makes sure that no variable name [[variable shadowing|masks]] another name in a containing scope. Alpha-renaming can make [[static code analysis]] easier since only the alpha renamer needs to understand the language's scoping rules.

Alpha-renaming can make [[static code analysis]] easier since only the alpha renamer needs to understand the language's scoping rules.

For example, in this code:

<sourcesyntaxhighlight lang="cpp">

class Point {

private:

Line 75:

void setY(double newy) { y = newy; }

}

</syntaxhighlight>

</source>

within the <tt>{{mono|Point</tt>}} constructor, the class[[instance variablesvariable]]s <tt>{{mono|x</tt>}} and <tt>{{mono|y</tt>}} are [[Variable shadowing|shadowed]] by local variables of the same name. This might be alpha-renamed to:

<sourcesyntaxhighlight lang="cpp">

class Point {

private:

Line 91:

void setY(double newy) { y = newy; }

}

</syntaxhighlight>

</source>

In the new version, there is no masking, so it is immediately obvious which uses correspond to which declarations.