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Algebraic Effect Handlers

To understand the algebraic effect handler literature, we need to understand what kinds of topics they address. Here are just a few that we will use to deliniate the research that we have read:

  • What are algebraic effect handlers?
  • What language constructs are they related to?
  • What kinds of type systems are there for algebraic effects?
  • What variants of algebraic effects are there?
  • What kinds of implementation strategies are there / abstract machines / reduction machines / mapping to CPS or translating to other languages?
  • How do you optimize algebraic effect constructs or implementations?
  • What use cases are there for algebraic effects?

In investigating these questions there are three main categories that the papers fit into as well

  • Theory of effect handlers
  • New languages for effect handlers
  • Libraries for effect handlers

This categorization is useful when reading the literature since many of the languages and libraries have different approaches to the type system that end up making the feature look and behave quite differently, changing what can be expressed.

Mathematical Theory​

Papers that deal with the mathematical theory include: Plotkin and Pretnar (2008) and Plotkin and Pretnar (2009).

Languages​

OCaml​

Koka​

Frank​

Eff​

Helium​

Libraries​

Haskell​

Scala​

C++​

C​

More Papers​

Gordon Plotkin, and Matija Pretnar. “A Logic for Algebraic Effects.” In 2008 23rd Annual IEEE Symposium on Logic in Computer Science, 118–129. IEEE. 2008.
Gordon Plotkin, and Matija Pretnar. “Handlers of Algebraic Effects.” In European Symposium on Programming, 80–94. Springer. 2009.