Adaptive binding

A computer-implemented method for dispatching a function call to an implementation during program execution, the function call occurring in a code segment and associated with a function identifier and actual function arguments describable by actual function argument information, the method comprising:

• providing a dictionary including multiple dictionary entries, each dictionary entry including a function identifier, formal function argument information, and implementation reference information;
• determining during a first execution of a code segment that an instruction in the code segment represents a function call, the function call including a function identifier and actual function arguments;
• searching the dictionary to determine a first dictionary entry having a function identifier and formal function argument information corresponding to the function identifier and actual function argument information of the function call;
• overwriting a portion of the instruction in the code segment that represents the function call with a dictionary entry reference to the first dictionary entry;
• executing a function implementation indicated by the implementation reference information in the first dictionary entry;
• determining during a subsequent execution of the code segment that the instruction in the code segment includes a dictionary entry reference to the first dictionary entry and actual function argument information associated with a second function call;
• determining whether the actual argument information associated with the second function call corresponds to the formal function argument information in the dictionary entry referenced by the dictionary entry reference;
• and
• if the actual argument information associated with the second function call corresponds to the formal function argument information in the dictionary entry, executing the function implementation indicated by the implementation reference information in the first dictionary entry;
• if the actual argument information associated with the instruction does not correspond to the formal function argument information in the dictionary entry,
• determining a function identifier from the dictionary entry referenced by the pointer;
• and
• searching the dictionary to determine a second dictionary entry having a function identifier and formal function argument information corresponding to the function identifier and actual function argument information of the function call.