An abstract machine is a computer science theoretical model that allows for a detailed and precise analysis of how a computer system functions. It is analogous to a mathematical function in that it receives inputs and produces outputs based on predefined rules. Abstract machines vary from literal machines in that they are expected to perform correctly and independently of hardware. Abstract machines are “machines” because they allow step-by-step execution of programmes; they are “abstract” because they ignore many aspects of actual (hardware) machines. A typical abstract machine consists of a definition in terms of input, output, and the set of allowable operations used to turn the former into the latter. They can be used for purely theoretical reasons as well as models for real-world computer systems. In the theory of computation, abstract machines are often used in thought experiments regarding computability or to analyse the complexity of algorithms. This use of abstract machines is connected to th

1. <language> A processor design which is not intended to be implemented as hardware, but which is the notional executor of a particular intermediate language (abstract machine language) used in a compiler or interpreter. An abstract machine has an instruction set, a register set and a model of memory. It may provide instructions which are closer to the language being compiled than any physical computer or it may be used to make the language implementation easier to port to other platforms. A virtual machine is an abstract machine for which an interpreter exists. Examples: ABC, Abstract Machine Notation, ALF, CAML, F-code, FP/M, Hermes, LOWL, Christmas, SDL, S-K reduction machine, SECD, Tbl, Tcode, TL0, WAM. 2. <theory> A procedure for executing a set of instructions in some formal language, possibly also taking in input data and producing output. Such abstract machines are not intended to be constructed as hardware but are used in thought experiments about computability. Examples: Finite State Machine, Turing Machine. (1995-03-13)

A small portable implementation of a version of CAML by Xavier Leroy <Xavier.Leroy@inria.fr> and Damien Doligez of INRIA. Caml Light uses a bytecode interpreter written in C. It adds a Modula-2-like module system, {separate compilation}, lazy streams for parsing and printing, graphics primitives and an interface with C. Version 0.6 runs on Unix, MS-DOS, Macintosh, Atari ST and Amiga. It includes an interpreter, compiler, Emacs mode, libraries, scanner generator, {parser generator}, run-time support and an interactive development environment. The latest version, as of April 2003, is 0.75 and runs on Unix, Macintosh and Windows. The development of Caml Light has been stopped; current development is on Objective Caml. http://caml.inria.fr/distrib-caml-light-eng.html. ftp://ftp.inria.fr/lang/caml-light/. E-mail: <caml@inria.fr>. Mailing list: <caml-list@inria.fr>. Usenet newsgroup: news:comp.lang.ml. (2003-04-12)