Structuring Conversation in Operation/Procedure Oriented Programming Languages

Abstract The conversation scheme has been defined to design concurrent software which provides backward error recovery. Since presently no widespread programming language provides constructs for implementing conversations, we propose a methodology for structuring programs, following the conversation scheme. We analyze the use of conversation in languages which adopt the client-server model for processes interaction, pointing out solutions to problems arising from the use of operation and procedure oriented languages [1: Andrews and Schneider, ACM Comput. Surv. 15: 3–44; 1983], in which servers are implemented as remote procedures or monitors respectively. The features of a number of programming languages, which are the most suitable for structuring conversations are pointed out. The implementation of nested conversations is also discussed and finally, an industrial application in which our methodology has been profitably applied is presented.