An efficient class and object encoding

An object encoding translates a language with object primitives to one with out. Similarly, a class encoding translates classes into other primitives. Both are important theoretically for comparing the expressive power of lang uages and for transferring results from traditional languages to those with objects and classes. Both are also important foundations for the implement ation of object-oriented languages as compilers typically include a phase t hat performs these translations. This paper describes a language with a primitive notion of classes and obje cts and presents an encoding of this language into one with records and fun ctions. The encoding uses two techniques often used in compilers for single -inheritance class-based object-oriented languages: the self-application se mantics and the method-table technique. To type the output of the encoding, the encoding uses a new formulation of self quantifiers that is more power ful than previous approaches.