http://rmod.lille.inria.fr/archives/papers/Poli13b-BootstrappingASmalltalk-ScienceOfComputerProgramming.pdf

"Bootstrapping Reflective Systems: The Case of Pharo"

Abstract
Bootstrapping is a technique commonly known by its usage in language
definition by the introduction of a compiler written in the same
language it compiles. This process is important to understand and
modify the definition of a given language using the same language,
taking benefit of the abstractions and expression power it provides. A
bootstrap, then, supports the evolution of a language. However, the
infrastructure of reflective systems like Smalltalk includes, in
addition to a compiler, an environment with several self-references. A
reflective system bootstrap should consider all its infrastructural
components. In this paper, we propose a definition of bootstrap for
object-oriented reflective systems, we describe the architecture and
components it should contain and we analyze the challenges it has to
overcome. Finally, we present a reference bootstrap process for a
reflective system and Hazelnut, its implementation for bootstrapping
the Pharo Smalltalk-inspired system.

frank