Introduction to Domain Specific Languages

(DSLs)Pedro Mendes da Silva

Computer ScientistLinked-in: https://pt.linkedin.com/pub/pedro-mendes-da-silva/0/505/483

SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/PedroSilva404/

DSLs: IntroductionDomain Specific Languages (DSLs) are special-purpose programming languages developed for a specific domain.

Some of its most interesting benefits include:● increasing productivity

○ by reducing ■ the lines of code that have to be written manually■ the number of coding errors

● (due to automatic domain restrictions)● test generation● formal verification

DSL view types● DSLs work by using higher-level constructions and

restrictions○ which are automatically converted to a lower level

programming language at a later time● DSLs can be

○ textual (declarative or imperative)○ graphical

● DSLs can include multiple views for the same domain.○ example: state machine in graphical or XML format

DSLs: Preprocessing● I’ve used DSLs extensively in my work and it saves a lot

of time○ I strongly recomend using them

● “Preprocessing” is one of the tyipcal ways to implement DSLs○ Some subtypes include:

■ Macro processing■ Source-to-source transformation

● (conversion between languages)■ Pipeline■ Lexical processing

●●

DSL usage types● You can use these languages for many

purposes, including:○ Defining an entity model

■ example: UML○ Protocol definition

■ example: Google Protobuf Interface Definition○ High-level user interface description

■ example: Mozilla XUL○ Automated test case description○ Software architecture description

●●

DSL Development and Usage● DSL usage includes 2 separate stages

○ 1) DSL Development■ a new language must be specified■ a module to convert from the new language to an

existing one must be implemented■ the new language should tested and refined

○ 2)Programming using the new DSL■ the new DSL should be imported in the projects

that need it■ new code can then be produced using the DSL

DSLs: Microsoft Visual Studio

● Microsoft has some easy to use DSL editor tools in Visual Studio

● Check the “Modeling SDK for Visual Studio – Domain-Specific Languages” at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb126288.aspx

DSLs: ReferencesCheck additional information and examples in these references:

● When and How to Develop Domain-Specific Languages (2005) – http://www.rose-hulman.edu/Users/faculty/young/OldFiles/CS-Classes/OldFiles/csse490-mbse/Readings/DSL-Survey-WhenHow.pdf

● AN APPROACH FOR THE SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT OF DSLS (2009) – http://nm.wu-wien.ac.at/home/mark/publications/spe-v39i15-oct09.pdf

● Guidance for Domain Specific Modeling in Small and Medium Enterprises (2011) – http://www.dima.tu-berlin.de/fileadmin/fg131/Publikation/Papers/henning-agt-bizware-guidance-domain-specific-modeling-dsm-splash-2011.pdf

● Evaluating the Benefits of Using Domain-Specific Modeling Languages – an Experience Report (2013) – http://www.dsmforum.org/events/dsm13/Papers/Wegeler.pdf