CODE: the Computation Oriented Display Environment

The goals for the Computation Oriented Display Environment (CODE) are to provide a representation power sufficient for facile expression of a wide class of parallel algorithms while at the same time permitting compilation to reasonably efficient programs on a wide spectrum of parallel execution environments and to provide a hierarchical approach to development of parallel programs. CODE is based on a formally specified model of parallel computation which covers most conventional MIMD models of parallel computation. The model is formulated at a higher level of abstraction than conventional MIMD shared-name-space and partitioned-name-space models of parallel computation. The conceptual foundation of CODE, in particular basing the language on an abstract model of parallel computation, has led to two significant capabilities which had not been anticipated: a calculus of composition which may be exploitable for automated or semiautomated program construction and a natural basis for highly effective component reuse.<>