Compile-Time Decisions

Run-Time Information

Unit Activation

Activation Records

Language Issues

Static Storage Allocation

Activation Records for Languages that Support Recursion

Activation Records for Languages that Support Block Structure

Activation Records Whose Size Is Known at Unit Activation

Activation Records with Dynamically Varying Size

Activation Records for Concurrent Units

Storage Allocation for Lisp-like Languages

Storage Allocation for Arrays

12.3.4 Activation Records

The information in an activation record varies according to the language being compiled. An activation record can be of a fixed or variable size.

A typical activation record contains space to record values for local data and parameters or references to such space. It also contains the return location in the code so that execution can resume correctly when the procedure finishes.

The term offset is used to describe the relative position of information in an activation record, that is, its position relative to the beginning of the activation record.