6. Q: What is the difference between an activation record and an activation
A: An activation record is the format, or layout, of the moncode part of a subprogram, whereas an activation record instance is a concrete example of an activation record, a collection of data in the form of an activation record.
7. Q: Why are the return address, dynamic link, and parameters placed in the
A: because the entried must appear first.
8. Q: What kind of machines often use registers to pass parameters?
A: RISC machines, parameters are passed in registers.
9. Q: What are the two steps in locating a nonlocal variable in a static-scoped
10. Q: Define static chain, static_depth, nesting_depth, and chain_offset.
6. Q: Although local variables in Java methods are dynamically allocated at the
beginning of each activation, under what circumstances could the value
of a local variable in a particular activation retain the value of the previous
activation?
A: If the variable is declared as static. Static modifier is a modifier that makes a variable history – sensitive.
7. Q: It is stated in this chapter that when nonlocal variables are accessed in a
dynamic-scoped language using the dynamic chain, variable names must
be stored in the activation records with the values. If this were actually
done, every nonlocal access would require a sequence of costly string
comparisons on names. Design an alternative to these string comparisons
that would be faster.
A: Using approach that uses an auxiliary data structure called a display. Or, to write variable names as integers. These integers act like an array. So when the activation happens, the comparisons will be faster.
8. Q: Pascal allows gotos with nonlocal targets. How could such statements
be handled if static chains were used for nonlocal variable access? Hint:
Consider the way the correct activation record instance of the static parent
of a newly enacted procedure is found (see Section 10.4.2).
A: Based on the hint statement, the target of every goto in a program could be represented as an address and a nesting_depth, where the nesting_depth is the difference between the nesting level of the procedure that contains the goto and that of the procedure containing the target. Then, when a goto is executed, the static chain is followed by the number of links indicated in the nesting_depth of the goto target. The stack top pointer is reset to the top of the activation record at the end of the chain.
9. Q: The static-chain method could be expanded slightly by using two static
links in each activation record instance where the second points to the
static grandparent activation record instance. How would this approach
affect the time required for subprogram linkage and nonlocal references?
A: Including two static links would reduce the access time to nonlocals that are defined in scopes two steps away to be equal to that for nonlocals that are one step away. Overall, because most nonlocal references are relatively close, this could significantly increase the execution efficiency of many programs.
10. Q: Design a skeletal program and a calling sequence that results in an activation
record instance in which the static and dynamic links point to different
activation-recorded instances in the run-time stack.
A:
\emph{Answer}:\\
procedure Main\_2 is\\
\verb+ + X : Integer;\\
\verb+ +procedure Bigsub is\\
\verb+ +\verb+ + A, B, C : Integer;\\
\verb+ +\verb+ + procedure Sub1 is\\
\verb+ +\verb+ +\verb+ + A, D : Integer;\\
\verb+ +\verb+ +\verb+ + begin -- of Sub1\\
\verb+ +\verb+ +\verb+ + A := B + C; $\longleftarrow$ 1\\
\verb+ +\verb+ +\verb+ + ...\\
\verb+ + end; -- of Sub1\\
\verb+ + procedure Sub2(X : Integer) is\\
\verb+ +\verb+ + B, E : Integer;\\
\verb+ +\verb+ + procedure Sub3 is\\
\verb+ +\verb+ +\verb+ + C, E : Integer;\\
\verb+ +\verb+ +\verb+ + begin -- of Sub3\\
\verb+ +\verb+ +\verb+ + ...\\
\verb+ +\verb+ +\verb+ + Sub1;\\
\verb+ +\verb+ +\verb+ + ...\\
\verb+ +\verb+ +\verb+ + E := B + A; $\longleftarrow$ 2\\
\verb+ +\verb+ + end; -- of Sub3\\
\verb+ +\verb+ + begin -- of Sub2\\
\verb+ +\verb+ + ...\\
\verb+ +\verb+ + Sub3;\\
\verb+ +\verb+ + ...\\
\verb+ +\verb+ + A := D + E; $\longleftarrow$ 3\\
\verb+ + end; -- of Sub2\\
\verb+ + begin -- of Bigsub\\
\verb+ +\verb+ + ...\\
\verb+ +\verb+ + Sub2(7);\\
\verb+ +\verb+ + ...\\
\verb+ + end; -- of Bigsub\\
begin -- of Main\_2\\
\verb+ + ...\\
\verb+ + Bigsub;\\
\verb+ + ...\\
end; -- of Main\_2\\
\\
The sequence of procedure calls is:\\
Main\_2 calls Bigsub\\
Bigsub calls Sub2\\
Sub2 calls Sub3\\
Sub3 calls Sub1\\
\\
The activation records with static and dynamic links is as follows:\\
\begin{figure}
\centering
\includegraphics[scale=0.5]{ari}
\end{figure}