Bootstrapping a Modelica Compiler aiming at Modelica 4

Abstract

What does it mean to bootstrap a compiler, and why do it? This paper reports on the first bootstrapping (i.e., a compiler can compile itself) of a full-scale EOO (Equation-based Object-Oriented) modeling language such as Modelica. The Modelica language has been modeled/implemented in the OpenModelica compiler (OMC) using an extended version of Modelica called MetaModelica. OMC models the MetaModelica language and is now compiling itself with good performance. Benefits include a more extensible maintainable compiler, also making it easier to add functionality such as debugging support.This work is in line with the recently started Modelica 4 design effort which includes moving implementation of language features from the compiler to a Modelica Core library, allowing compilers to become smaller while increasing correctness and portability.A number of language constructs discussed for Modelica 4 are already supported in some form by the bootstrapped compiler. Future work includes adapting language constructs according to the Modelica 4 design effort and extracting and restructuring parts of the Modelica implementation from the OMC compiler to instead reside in a Modelica Core library, making the compiler smaller and more extensible.

Tools and Methods for Analysis, Debugging, and Performance Improvement of Equation-Based Models

“…Compared to preliminary work performed in [129], the numbers reported here reflect a number of updates made in OpenModelica since 2011. Most important is the addition of garbage collection.…”

“…This chapter gives a rather complete account of the Modelica bootstrapping effort in the OpenModelica compiler project of which an early preliminary description is available [129].…”

Static and Dynamic Debugging of Modelica Models

“…This is due to the connection semantics of the Modelica language. For example, if a and b are connectors with the effort-variable v and flow-variable i, a connection (2) will generate alias equations (3) and (4).…”

Modelica — A cyber-physical modeling language and the OpenModelica environment

“…We also developed a compiler which can handle the entire OpenModelica compiler specification (~160 000 lines of code) defined in MetaModelica. Recently, the whole OpenModelica compiler has been bootstrapped, i.e., used to compile itself [38].…”