The parallel metalanguage, TPML, represents an implementation of the Bulk Synchronous Parallel (BSP) processing model. It has been originally developed and implemented as an extension to the parallel (3L) Fortran for a transputer platform. This Transputer Parallel Metalanguage is known by the acronym TPML. This development can however be easily extended to any MIMD computer and to other programming languages.
From the viewpoint of application programs, the metalanguage enables a logical specification of parallel tasks and intertask communication by the programmer. This inter-task communication is performed while hiding (from the programmer) the message transport complexities inherent to a specific physical processor connectivity and/or processor-memory arrangements. The metalanguage approach, to the implementation of the BSP processing model, was adopted in order to make full use of the available software development tools. However, it is envisaged that in future the TPML functionality will be available through a dedicated parallel compiler. The execution of the developed metalanguage statements, included within the application code creates the tpml-generated code in 3L Parallel Fortran and all the hardware-specific information that is necessary to support the execution of parallel tasks. Since the major TPML design objective was to facilitate easy transition from hardware-specific to hardware-independent parallel software development, the design decisions favour simplicity in preference of optimality.
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