Waiting for Godot: The Right Language Abstractions for Parallel Programming Should be Here Soon

  • Todd Mytkowicz ,
  • Wolfram Schulte

MSR-TR-2012-63 |

Waiting for Godot is a famous play by Samuel Beckett, in which
two men occupy their time while waiting, indefinitely, for the
arrival of their friend, Godot. As the play progresses we learn
that while both men claim Godot as an acquaintance, they really
do not know him and further, would not recognize him even if
they were to see him.

As a discipline, we have been discussing parallel programming
for years. After all these years, do we know the right language
abstractions for parallel programming?Would we recognize the
right abstractions if we were to see them? Have we been simply
biding our time, waiting for our Godot?