Various features of the Voltaire database programming language are described. Unlike most other languages, Voltaire has a single execution model for evaluating queries, enforcing constraints and computing functions. Such a design also facilitates a bootstrapped implementation. Voltaire supports a synthesis of declarative querying primitives with imperative programming primitives so that constraints are also enforced. The notion of temporary instance creation, which allows an equivalent semantics to be given to classes and functions is reviewed. A data definition facility in which persistence is a property of the instances rather than classes, and the transparency provided between persistent and transient objects by defining a single set of operators for both kinds of objects are discussed.>

A popular but “not-quite” correct technique for computing LALR(1) look-ahead sets has been formalized by DeRemer and Pennello and dubbed NQLALR(l). They also claim that the class of SLR(l) grammars is a subset of the class of NQLALR(1) grammars. We prove here that no such relationship exists between those two classes. We do so with a counterexample that, ironically, appeared in DeRemer and Pennello's own paper.