hatlog

a proof of concept of a type inference tool for Python written in Prolog. Idea described in blog

how?

currently it works for simple one-function python files

bin/hatlog examples/map.py
# A,B::Callable[[A],B] -> List[A] -> List[B]

• hatlog flattens the python ast and annotates the types: constants for literals and variables otherwise
• it generates a prolog program with the flattened ast: each node is represented as a prolog rule applied on its element types
• the program imports the specified type system, infers the types of the function based on it and saves it
• hatlog prints it

the type system is described as a simple file with prolog rules:

they describe the type rules for python nodes, e.g.

z_cmp(A, A, bool)     :- comparable(A).

z_index([list, X], int, X).
z_index([dict, X, Y], X, Y).
z_index(str, int, str).

and some builtin methods, e.g.

m([list, A], index, [A], int).

You can easily define your custom type systems just by tweaking those definitions.

Author

Alexander Ivanov, 2016