DELIMITED CONTINUATION Meaning and
Definition
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A delimited continuation refers to a concept in computer programming and control flow management, where a continuation is used to capture the current state of a program's execution and represent it as a single, first-class value. This continuation can then be manipulated and passed around like any other object, allowing for greater control over program flow and enabling advanced control structures.
In a delimited continuation, the scope of the captured state is defined by a delimiter that marks the beginning and end of the continuation. This delimiter creates a boundary within the program, allowing for the capture and manipulation of the continuation only within that specific section. This is in contrast to an undelimited continuation, which captures the whole program state and can be used throughout the entire program.
By limiting the scope of a continuation, delimited continuations offer several advantages. They provide a more fine-grained control over program flow, allowing for a more modular and structured approach to programming. Delimited continuations also facilitate advanced control structures, such as coroutines, backtracking, and exception handling, by capturing and restoring program states selectively.
Overall, delimited continuations provide a powerful tool for managing control flow in programming languages. They allow programmers to capture and manipulate program states, offering greater flexibility and modularity. Utilizing delimited continuations can lead to more expressive code, efficient control structures, and improved programming experiences.
Etymology of DELIMITED CONTINUATION
The term "delimited continuation" is mainly used in the context of computer science and programming languages. Its etymology can be understood by breaking down the two constituent words:
1. Delimited: In programming, "delimited" refers to the process of explicitly marking or specifying the boundaries or limits of a certain construct or element. It ensures that a specific portion of code is executed within a well-defined context or scope. The verb "delimit" comes from the Latin word "delimitare", which means "to fix the boundaries of".
2. Continuation: In the context of programming languages, a "continuation" represents the state of a program at a specific point in its execution process, including the continuation of control flow. It is often used to facilitate advanced programming techniques such as control flow manipulation or non-local jumps.
