Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Engine (computer science)
open-in-new
<p>An engine is a <a href="/facts/Continuation/53gyBXrB">continuation</a>-based construct that provides timed <a href="/facts/Preemption_(computing)/wjgIbWel">preemption</a>. Engines which can contain other engines are sometimes called Nesters and engines which do not have this ability are then called flat engines or "solo engines". To implement timed preemption there needs to be a clock. This clock can measure real time or simulated time. Simulated time can be implemented in a language like <a href="/facts/Scheme_(programming_language)/0aGdf3SC">Scheme</a>, by making each function start with decrementing the clock. </p> (define-syntax timed-lambda ((_ formals exp1 exp2 ...) (lambda formals (decrement-timer) exp1 exp2 ...))))