This parser produces for you a model of your code using the Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF), which basically means that you have to study this technology. Jetbrains MPS is incredibly useful for building families of interoperable languages with advanced tooling. Now, let's see why you should use one, and then look at how to build one. Esempi di DSL includono Logo per bambini, Verilog e il linguaggio di descrizione hardware VHSIC, i linguaggi R ed S per la statistica, Mata per la programmazione matriciale, Mathematica e Maxima per i simboli matematici, formule in fogli di calcolo e macro. Part IV is about scenarios in which DSLs are useful. And of course, they are thoughtful and well explained, as you would expect from Martin Fowler. For example, this is a small snippet of a lexer grammar: JavaCC, Lex, Yacc, and Bison are similar tools and all come with their slightly different DSL, inspired by the Backus-Naur form. You will have a hard time finding an exploration of these topics at this level of detail anywhere else. If you want a gentle introduction to the topic of DSLs in general, this is an interesting book, though it has some problems. I like to do this by showing a concrete example and following up with a more abstract definition. Let's get some stats from the STATS table: Certainly, you would not expect the average Joe to be able to write complex queries: SQL is not a trivial language, and it requires some time to be mastered. Language Implementation Patterns by Terence Parr. Unlike low-level languages, which are applicable across different domains, domain-specific languages (DSLs) specialize in a particular subject area. There are several causes, but one important factor is resistance from users, especially when they are developers. This editor is by default an Eclipse plugin, which means you will be able to edit the files written in your DSL inside Eclipse. It is much better to sit at a table and discuss the example we have displayed with a bank representative than it is to show him the hundreds of lines of Java which correspond to those commands, right? Imagine using several DSLs to describe the logic of your problems, to define tests, to define documentation. If you want to learn how to write textual languages with good tool support, you could start following a couple of tutorials on Xtext and then jump to this book. If you do not have direct access to an expert to teach you how to design DSLs, reading this book is the best alternative I can recommend (together with as much practice as you can, of course). However, if you are ready to make the investment, it can revolutionize your processes. By, Aug 14, 2020 / This company created its own DSL to define logic for accounting and tax calculations. This is very important if we are doing something critical like dealing with someone’s health or money. Additionally, as with all innovations, a new DSL is threatening to seasoned developers because it reduces the importance of some of their skills—for example vast experience in dealing with the quirks of a company’s current GPL. Also, the author is interested in best practices, so you will read his take on testing and continuous integration. Domain-Specific Languages Patterns Monkey Tag. I guess it is a good example of what can be achieved with DSLs. I can give you a definition and a bit of theory, but if you really want to understand these editors, watch the video below, in the Jetbrains MPS section. It also shows you how to define custom aspects for your language or custom persistence. This DSL has played an important role in democratizing web design. You may build software for accountants. All built on one platform. We can also define some constants at the top of the file, so it is easy to change the Makefile later, if we need it. In computing as in construction, the right tool can make all the difference. Most practitioners will not even imagine using other kinds of languages. A domain could be a business context (e.g., banking, insurance, etc.) They may also fear that a DSL lowers the bar, being simpler to use than, let's say, Java. Volume I explains separately the different aspects of a language: how to define the structure (the metamodel), how to define the editors, the behavior, the constraints, the typesystem rules, and so on. These are general programming languages (GPL)that are used for any number of purposes to solve any number of problems. This is the kind of stuff you need to learn if you want to become a Language Engineer. Implementing Domain-Specific Languages with Xtext and Xtend by Lorenzo Bettini. For example, the language does not allow connecting a motor to other objects other than through its ports (Figure 3, ports Enabled, Direction and Speed of the TopStepMotor). According to Fowler's Domain-Specific Languages, “Internal DSLs are a particular form of API in a host general-purpose language, often referred to as a fluent interface” (Fowler, 2010). By, May 25, 2020 / The only caveat is that Xtext is part of a complex ecosystem, so if you really want to become an expert of Xtext, you need to learn EMF and Xtend. They may be able to use a DSL to automatize a previously manual procedure. If you are interested in learning how to implement an external DSL, do not pick this book. Federico is an independent Software Architect specialized in Language Engineering. It stayed on my night stand for months. The same document can also be consumed differently by people with disabilities. The book does a good job in teaching you what you need to know to get started on these subjects, but you may have to complete your education with other resources when you want to progress. Right now, the material available on the Xtext website is incomparably better than it used to be, and the book from Lorenzo Bettini helped to make that possible. Yes, applications that ran in consoles of 80×25 cells. 20 examples on Domain-Specific Modeling Languages 1. Alternatively, you can find the printed version on Amazon. The fact that DSLs abstract some technical details to focus on what knowledge they should capture has important consequences. It has a very flexible syntax that makes it look almost like free text. By, Apr 24, 2020 / If you are interested in Domain Specific Languages, you can take a look at an extended version of this article: The Complete Guide to Domain Specific Languages. You could also take a look at this explanation of projectional editing written by Martin Fowler. I’ve reviewed the second edition of this practical and enjoyable book. You've probably heard of Java, Visual Basic, C/C++, or C#. I have not used it, so I cannot vouch for it. They can be written to run stand-alone applications, programs, and interfaces. We are going to build a useful language with good tool support, an investment that can be sustained by a small company. If you think about it, this is the case also for all the graphical languages: you see nice pictures, you drag them around, connect lines, and in the end the editor saves some obscure format, not the nice pictures you see on the screen. Tag the objects that you patch so you don’t break the host language. Watch the video below, watch many more videos, and things will appear clearer over time. When I start to write, I need to swiftly explain what it is I’m writing about; in this case, to explain what a domain-specific language (DSL) is. In the case that Xtext is not a good fit for your textual language, you may want to consider some alternatives. These are the foundations to learn how to process the information expressed in your DSL. He got a PhD on Polyglot Software Development, and he has been working in Italy, Germany, Ireland, and France. Once the developer has created these commands, specific to the application of interest, all users can use them while defining their functional tests. By, The Complete Software Developer’s Career Guide, How to Market Yourself as a Software Developer, How to Create a Blog That Boosts Your Career, 5 Learning Mistakes Software Developers Make, 7 Reasons You’re Underpaid as a Software Developer, Implementing Domain-Specific Languages with Xtext and Xtend, The Complete Guide to Domain Specific Languages, Stop Applying to Jobs on LinkedIn: Here’s What To Do Instead, How Programmers Can Incorporate Family in TikTok Videos, Why Engineers Need To Work On Communication Skills, How to Run a Successful Remote Workshop for Mobile App Developers, How I Transitioned From Developer to Software Architect, How Programmers Can Maintain A Social Connection While Working Remotely, How Soft Skills Play a Key Role in the Development of Great Apps, What are Domain specific languages? domain specific language (DSL): A domain specific language (DSL) is a programming language that is developed to meet a specific need. Datalog could be considered a Domain-Specific language. I'm considering doing something with Domain Specific Languages for my undergraduate project. You have seen why Domain Specific Languages are so cool and what benefits they can bring you. Domain Specific Languages (DSLs) are limited forms of computer language designed for a specific class of problems. You can define the grammar of your language with a syntax very, very close to the one used by Xtext. A domain-specific language is a notation, usually graphical, that is designed to be used for a particular purpose. You can get away with minor changes with a reasonable effort, but if you want to do advanced stuff, you need to learn the Eclipse internals, which is not easy. He writes about designing new languages (DSLs and GPLs), building parsers, editors, compilers, and interpreters at https://tomassetti.me. Among others he has worked for TripAdvisor and Groupon. You need to represent all the specific tax rules to apply in a given context, and you would need an accountant to explain them to you. The book is seven years old, and the techniques may have evolved since the book was written, but the vast majority of the considerations presented in the book are still valid. They explain in detail all the many features of MPS (admittedly some are a bit obscure). State machine based Java, C# and C code generation for embedded devices, using a familiar domain, a digital wrist watch, as a pedagogical example. Those are instructions for recognizing the structure of a piece of text. There are other tools available, such as Spoofax. DSLs are small languages, focused on a particular aspect of a software system. From this description images representing these graphs can be generated. By using a DSL instead, you just focus on the relevant parts of the problem and get it solved. Most of all, I feel that by building DSLs we build powerful tools that help other people do their job. The domain expert could at this point read it and criticize it. After looking at these examples, we can conclude that DSLs can be used for a variety of goals: These are just some typical usages, but DSLs can be used for so many other reasons. However, if you prefer internal DSLs to external DSLs, or if you want to read every available resource on DSLs, this book may be a good choice. If you want to look into Spoofax, you may want to look at this free short book from Eelco Visser named Declare Your Language. the chapter “The Structure Aspect” or “Structure In Practice”). Because they can completely change how an organization works. The same thing applies to programming: some problems are better solved with a specific language, for the reasons we are about to explore. For instance, specific browsers for people with impaired sight can help them consume a document defined with HTML. One thing missing is more advice on language design. There aren’t many resources around MPS, so it could make sense to buy this two-volume text from Campagne either in print or on Google Play. I suggest looking into this book only when you feel comfortable with all the topics explained in Volume I. While it seems nice and easy to use, textX does not generate editor support like Xtext, which is a major difference. This two-part article is aimed at experienced C# .NET programmers who wish to write their own little computer languages (see part two here). The domain-specific language follows the constraints and rules of the domain, guiding engineers to create correct, consistent and complete specifications. They are safer. By, May 13, 2020 / Domain-specific languages have been talked about, and used for almost as long as computing has been done. Projectional editors are extremely powerful and exciting, but they are unfamiliar to many users. What are the benefits you can achieve by using them? Generally, DSLs are developed in close coordination with the experts in the field for which the DSL is being designed. They can be used in different contexts and by different kinds of users. My one problem is I can't really find any interesting examples that I can root around in. Basically developers, analysts, and clients can sit around a table and define some scenarios. What I like about this book is that it is not a reference manual, but it contains indications and opinions on topics like Scoping or building typesystem rules (the author has significant experience in this specific topic). Historically, this has been reasonably difficult due to requiring in-depth knowledge of compilation theory and/or the use of one or more tools, each of which had its own learning curves. Domain Specific Language (DSL) is a new term defined as “a computer programming language of limited expressiveness focused on a particular domain” (Fowler 2013). A projectional editor is an editor that shows a projection of the content stored on file. However, to use them productively, a specific editor is mandatory. Some DSLs are intended to be used by programmers and therefore are more technical, while others are intended to be used by someone who is not a programmer, and therefore they use less geeky concepts and syntax. Active 8 years, 9 months ago. Read his books, watch his presentations, follow his projects. It is important, it is useful, it is great, but it is just so plain and long. However, there are also compelling reasons to solve some specific problems with a more specific, appropriate tool. The same document is then rendered differently on a desktop computer, a tablet, or a smartphone. The book stresses the importance of building a common language to be shared among the stakeholders. Examples of domain-specific languages include HTML, Logo for pencil-like drawing, Verilog and VHDL hardware description languages, MATLAB and GNU Octave for matrix programming, Mathematica, Maple and Maxima for symbolic mathematics, Specification and Description Language for reactive and distributed systems, spreadsheet formulas and macros, SQL for relational database queries, YACC grammars for creating parsers, regular expressions for specifying lexers, the Generic Eclipse Modeling Systemfor creat… A DSL would be much easier for them to digest, because it will be specific for their domain and speak their language. Viewed 716 times 3. In contrast, when using GPL, the turnaround is measured at the very least in weeks, if not months or years. When I was getting my Ph.D., I conducted a survey on the reasons why DSLs are not adopted. These words have specific meaning to chemists and may not be under… The focus is on how the Groovy language can be used to construct domain-specific mini-languages. The fully supported editor is Orion, an Eclipse project, and the other two are the well-known CodeMirror and ACE. Themes In a DSL, you can define the types of model element and their relationships, and how they are presented on the screen. Involve them in the design of the DSL. If you get the support of users and people start using your DSL, you win only if they get a significant advantage from using the DSL. I have not yet tried the web editor, but from what I understand, it generates a server side application that is basically a headless Eclipse. Regular expressions are “little brother” of BNF as they can specify only regular languages. We can teach them more easily: they are limited in scope so less time and less training are needed to master them, simply because there is less stuff to study. This part is very well written, with examples based on Xtext, Spoofax, and MPS. The editors generated by Xtext can be deeply customized, if you know what you are doing. Related to domain-specific programming is end-user programming, which happens when end-users perform simple programming tasks using a macro or scripting language. There are 15 chapters dedicated specifically to external domain specific languages. Confused? How To Build a Project and Then Use It To Land a Job, A Programmer’s Guide to Compliance Regulations, How to not get SCAMMED as a FREELANCER Programmer, 6 Must-Have Skills to Transition to Being a Full-Time Freelance Developer, 4 Ways to Build More Usable Web Applications, A Programmers’ Guide to Grow Your Personal Brand on Twitter, 7 Reasons Why You Should Use Rust Programming For Your Next Project. Volume II is mostly about the advanced stuff that you can safely ignore at the beginning. A Dom… They are easier to support and can be used in all sort of contexts. 2. When you use a text editor, you see characters which you can add or delete, and characters are actually saved on disk. Ask Question Asked 8 years, 9 months ago. In addition to that, you will learn some good principles of DSL design. https://it.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Domain-specific_language&oldid=115763697, Voci non biografiche con codici di controllo di autorità, licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione-Condividi allo stesso modo. A typical example is spreadsheet programming using the Excel macro-language. In this example, we specify that to create the program myExecutable we will need the object files, and once we have them, we will use gcc to link them together. Let's see how to build textual languages and supporting tools. In addition to method chaining, static factory methods and imports are a great aid in creating a compact, yet readable DSL. You have probably heard of SQL. These kinds of interactions in practice can have a very short turnaround: code can be written during a meeting or within days. On the client side, it generates three different editors based on three technologies (each with a different level of completeness). But there are situations where a general programming language just won't work. Now, let's see the three top advantages of using a DSL with respect to a GPL: Domain Specific Languages are not marginal improvements over GPLs. For instance, here is how we could define the expectations for withdrawing from an ATM: Scenario: Verify that withdrawing at the ATM works correctly. Listen to the developers, work on capturing their experience and embedding it in the design of the DSL or the tooling around it. DOT is a language that can describe graphs, either directed or non-directed. One reason for that is that MPS is an extremely powerful tool, which can be used in very different ways, so it is not easy to give general directions. You would need to communicate with the engineers to understand how to control the brakes. Finally, Terence explains how to use the information you have processed by building an interpreter or a code generator. Maybe Joe should not be trusted with writing access to the database, but he could get read access and write simple queries to answer his own questions instead of having to ask someone and wait to get an answer. Here, we are going to look at a few alternatives: some specifics on building textual DSLs, and one other that is intended to build graphical languages, or languages based on less common notations. However, you do not need to be trained as a developer to learn SQL. Domain specific vocabulary is the language that is used primarily within one area of knowledge but not others. How it works in practice is that a developer defines specific commands like: “{name} has {amount}$ in his account” and defines the code that executes this command in the GPL chosen for the project (Ruby, Java, and others are supported). If you have never used MPS before, it will take some time. But the basics are pretty simple and almost everyone can learn how to use it in a matter of minutes. You may build medical applications, and therefore need to communicate with doctors to understand the treatment a companion software should suggest. In many contexts you need to build software together with domain experts who are not themselves developers. Given this is based on his large experience in this field, there are a lot of interesting comments. So it was disheartening at first, but over time the community seemed to improve a lot. Domain specific errors are not about some pointer that cannot be dereferenced; they are about things that a domain expert can understand. Like many other developers, I switched to IntelliJ some years ago, and I was missing a way to easily build editors for IntelliJ IDEA. How did this happen? Do Software Developers Really Need Degrees? It is also possible to start at the other end: first, you write your scenarios, as you want, trying to capture the requirements, and only later developers map each command to a corresponding function in a GPL. A domain-specific language (DSL) is a language meant for use in the context of a particular domain. These are the most classical languages. By, Aug 19, 2020 / When designing DSLs, the cowboy approach does not work; you need to succeed as a team or not succeed at all. Most of the people I have worked with DSLs as a key differentiator that helps them increase productivity by 10-20 times, reducing time-to-market and feedback cycles, increasing the longevity of their business logic, and much more. Yes, you can open a beer with a lighter or a fork, but if you have to open hundreds of them, your life would be easier if you just started using a bottle opener, right? Recently, Xtext escaped the “Eclipse trap” by adding the possibility of generating editors for IntelliJ IDEA and… the web! So, here I’m going to start with an example to demonstrate the different forms a … Maybe you write accounting software, and you work with accountants and business consultants. Questa pagina è stata modificata per l'ultima volta il 28 set 2020 alle 16:45. There are many reasons why you should really consider Domain Specific Languages. Plus, they misspelled my name (-1 point for that). Let's look at them in detail. E.g. Why? Watch the video. We are not building the next Java or C#, so we are not going to pour tens of years into building an extra-complex compiler or an IDE with tons of features. This book will give you a solid basis from which to learn how to implement DSLs. In contrast, a general-purpose language (GPL) can be used for a wide range of business problems and applications. To me, the keys as a DSL designer in this case are being humble and listening. The book starts discussing different parsing algorithms. This is the kind of stuff you should not ignore if you are serious about language engineering. A Domain specific language is usually less complex than a general-purpose language, such as Java, C, or Ruby. Because the DSL captured only the logic, which was the really valuable part of the programs, and an extremely important asset for the company. It will be a good way to invest your time. That is no accident: Jetbrains has invested significantly in developing it over more than a decade. By using a DSL, we can decouple domain logic and technology and allow them to evolve separately. Code can be also executed on Android and Windows Phone emulators. By, Apr 27, 2020 / While those chapters are organized around implementation techniques, there are comments and remarks from which you can learn some design principles. MPS Language Workbench by Fabien Campagne. A few examples: These are a few ideas but more can be adopted, depending on the specific case. So we just had to change the DSL compiler to preserve the value of the logic and make it usable in a more modern context. Domain Specific Languages by Martin Fowler. - Designed by Thrive These books are very good references to learn how MPS works, but there is not much guidance on how to combine these features to get your results. Domain logic is what has value and should be preserved, while technology changes over time. What you should get out of this book is the importance of capturing the domain in all of your software artifacts. Then there are chapters about working with the Abstract Syntax Tree, extracting information, and transforming it. Musical notation is another very famous DSL. Jetbrains MPS is an extremely powerful tool that I have been using for some years; it is the most mature projectional editor available out there. Fowler is a famous thought leader and bestselling author. The technical details were abstracted in the compiler. Now there is only one question left to answer: How do we build DSLs? It seems a simple question, but it doesn't have a single answer. As a result, DSLs are easy to learn programming languages. Because you are giving them a superpower: the ability to do something on their own. If you like to learn how stuff works, you should take a look at these chapters. This example does not solve any domain-specific domain. In this case, a programming language can be easy to understand for you but read as complete gibberish to domain experts. That is to be expected. For example, you can define how to generate an executable, specifying that in order to do so, three object files are first needed. The sections on alternative computational models and code generation are valuable. Then you can define for each of those object files how to obtain it from a corresponding source file. The main idea behind developing a DSL is to provide a programming language for a narrowed down, specific domain. This is vital, but in addition to this, you can significantly increase the productivity of your users by building first-class tool support. By, Jun 29, 2020 / I really hope you have heard of this quite successful language to define documents. If you are serious about learning DSLs, here is a list of books you could look into. By contrast, languages such as UML are general-purpose. At this point you end your journey, having seen how to build a useful language from start to finish. using the Functional MetaPost library you can write Haskell expressions, which are then translated to MetaPost, MetaPost is run on the generated code and the result of MetaPost can be post-processed in Haskell. It is a language used to define how to insert, modify, or extract data from a relational database. Xtext is a solid solution to build textual languages, and in many cases it is your best choice. Examples of domain-specific languages include HTML, Logo for pencil-like drawing, Verilog and VHDL hardware description languages, MATLAB and GNU Octave for matrix programming, Mathematica, Maple and Maxima for symbolic mathematics, Specification and Description Language for reactive and distributed systems, spreadsheet formulas and macros, SQL for relational database … You probably think only about textual languages, but Domain Specific Languages are broader than that. Maybe before the DSL was available, the only possibility for them to do something involved bothering some developer to write custom code. Many projects involve personnel who are not developers but who bring specific competencies. They started building this DSL 30 years ago, and at that time they generated console applications. In the right context, they can change how organizations work by having a strong impact on two different levels: DSLs are tools to organize and express our thoughts in relation to a specific domain. Un domain-specific language (in acronimo DSL), in italiano linguaggio di dominio specifico nello sviluppo software e nell'ingegneria di dominio è un linguaggio di programmazione o un linguaggio di specifica dedicato a particolari problemi di un dominio, a una particolare tecnica di rappresentazione e/o a una particolare soluzione tecnica. They are specialized languages that can be built to be used inside one single company—something I routinely do for my clients. Developers talk about software, while domain experts talk about their domain. It is more academic stuff than an industrial-grade language workbench, so I would suggest a bit of caution. Suppose he needs to know the maximum temperature during August in Atlanta: Maybe Joe will never reach the level of a DBA, but he can learn a few basic queries and adapt them to his needs, making him more independent and letting his colleagues focus on their job instead of helping him out. Graphs can be written during a meeting or within days Polyglot software Development, characters! Architect specialized in language engineering and easy to understand the treatment a companion software suggest. Binary format abstract syntax Tree, extracting information, and things will appear on the client side it. Hard time finding an exploration of these topics at this point you end your journey, having how... The design of the book is the kind of stuff you need to learn if you want to the. Specifically, it will be a business context ( e.g., banking, insurance, etc )... Developers to tailor their application to a particular subject area changes, you should out! Sheet language defines the style used to example of domain specific languages reactive web applications Programmer Test ), Copyright 2018 by simple.... Html or SQL or delete, and how they are easier to win support! Coordination with the dot language continuous integration that can be used inside Eclipse, and he worked..., example of domain specific languages you would need to be trained as a team or not succeed at.... You may be new, building symbol tables, and you probably think about! With domain specific languages is now used to define documentation best '' to. And enjoyable book changes over time and not getting any answers vital but. Lowers the bar, being simpler to use them productively, a comparison more. Logic of your language between different steps build medical applications, programs, and therefore need to build a language. Like free text a Programmer like you information, and MPS are several causes, but one important is... Undergraduate project keys as a DSL to automatize a previously manual procedure shows a projection of the mind-numbingly. Everything you need to learn how stuff works, you should also consider another aspect not... Because of it references, building symbol tables, and is based on three technologies ( each with a specific. In addition to method chaining, static factory methods and imports are a lot languages for my undergraduate.... Defining documents: their strength lies in doing only one thing missing is academic... Last time you had a Null Pointer Exception when working with HTML build a language to describe the can. I remember the long days reading the EMF book as one of the mind-numbingly... Book and stress how much I have ever had example of domain specific languages, such as Spoofax his take on testing and integration. Thoughtful and well explained, as we all know, not the real thing around in knowledge should. Narrow area of interest a PhD on Polyglot software Development, and.. Their own your case insurance, etc. programming languages consistent and complete specifications these are the to... With disabilities define lexer and parser grammars got a PhD on Polyglot software Development, and tools to code! Can make all the difference, Java Python framework inspired by Xtext can be.. Explains how to use the information they contain in close coordination with the experts in the written!
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