Well-typed Programs Can Go Wrong - Enhancing the Reliability of Type Checkers in Compilers

Explore the critical importance of static typing in programming languages and the challenges faced by compiler type checkers in this 42-minute conference talk from Devoxx Greece 2024. Delve into the ongoing research efforts to improve compiler reliability through randomized software testing, which has uncovered over 250 bugs in major compilers like Java, Kotlin, Scala, and Groovy. Gain insights into the impact of compiler typing bugs on software development, including rejections of valid code, acceptance of unsafe programs, and performance issues. Learn about the most challenging language features to implement correctly and discover recent advancements in compiler and programming language testing techniques that have applications beyond compilers, extending to library and API testing.