Abstract

Constructing loops that iteratively index through data structures is a major source of programming complexity. Eliminating or at least reducing the need for explicitly programming such indexed iterations simplifies programming, particularly for novice programmers. To do so requires solving two problems. First, the programming language must provide higher-level data structure manipulations that, while not explicitly indexing individual elements, allow the implementation to effectively infer implicit indexed iterations. Second, the results of such inferential reasoning must be presentable to the programmer without forcing him/her to understand and perhaps edit the very representation the language tried to eliminate. This article describes an approach to both problems, with an emphasis on the second.

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