Work

Visualizing the semantics of gradual languages with Gredex

Year: 2025

Type: software-paper

Abstract: We present Gredex, an interactive tool to visually explore the static and dynamic semantics of gradually-typed programming languages. Gredex supports a core gradual language with numbers, booleans, functions, pairs, sums, and fixpoints. Gredex displays typing derivations and step-by-step reduction of programs, showing how runtime type information tracking evolves, thereby providing a visual explanation of both successful and failing behaviors. Gredex has been used in multiple research projects over the last decade to design and experiment with gradual languages with features such as security typing, flexible union types, parametric polymorphism, sealing, and merging. Gredex offers a faithful, extensible implementation of gradual language semantics, supporting both experimentation and education.

Source: SoftwareX

DOI: 10.1016/j.softx.2025.102425

Authors: Matías Toro, Éric Tanter

Institution: University of Chile

Language: English

Topic: Logic, programming, and type systems

Subfield: Artificial Intelligence

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,200

Funders: Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico