A Formal Model for Procedure Calling Conventions

Procedure calling conventions are used to provide uniform procedure-call interfaces. Applications, such as compilers and debuggers, which generate, or process procedures at the machine-language abstraction level require knowledge of the calling convention. In this paper, we develop a formal model for procedure calling conventions called P-FSA's. Using this model, we are able to ensure a number of completeness and consistency properties of calling conventions. Currently, applications that manipulate procedures implement conventions in an ad-hoc manner. The resulting code is complicated with details, difficult to maintain, and often riddled with errors. To alleviate the situation, we introduce a calling convention specification language, called CCL. The combination of CCL and P-FSA's facilitates the accurate specification of conventions that can be shown to be both consistent and complete.

Bailey, Mark, and Jack Davidson. "A Formal Model for Procedure Calling Conventions." University of Virginia Dept. of Computer Science Tech Report (1994).