Re: [TYPES] what is "lexical" about "lexical scoping"?

[ The Types Forum, http://lists.seas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/types-list ]

 > 2. "of or relating to a lexicon or to lexicography"
 > 
 > That is the meaning I would associate with the phrase "lexical
 > scoping". As I understand lexical scoping, a scope is a dictionary or
 > lexicon, basically a map from identifiers of the concrete syntax to
 > binding sites of the abstract syntax. This dictionary is updated
 > during parsing. Perhaps "lexical" refers to the fact that the meaning
 > of the identifier is looked up in this (static) lexicon, as opposed to
 > determined dynamically at runtime?

That's a really interesting thought!  I may politely ask Guy Steele
what he remembers.


Norman