Linguistic reflection in Java : a quantitative assessment
Graham Kirby, Ronald W. Morrison, David W. Stemple · St Andrews Research Repository (St Andrews Research Repository) · 1998
Linguistic reflection allows a running program to generate new program fragments and to integrate these into its own execution. The advantages of the technique include attaining high levels of genericity and accommodating system evolution. Here its use to provide generic programs in Java is compared for a particular example, natural join, against alternative implementation approaches.