WebDSL: A Case Study in Domain-Specific Language Engineering

WebDSL: A Case Study in Domain-Specific Language Engineering

Visser, E.

Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

Software Computer Technology

2008-12-31

Preprint of paper published in: GITTSE 2007 - International Summer School Generative and Transformational Techniques in Software Engineering, 2-7 July 2007, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 5235; doi:10.1007/978-3-540-88643-3_7 The goal of domain-specific languages (DSLs) is to increase the productivity of software engineers by abstracting from low-level boilerplate code. Introduction of DSLs in the software development process requires a smooth workflow for the production of DSLs themselves. This requires technology for designing and implementing DSLs, but also a methodology for using that technology. That is, a collection of guidelines, design patterns, and reusable DSL components that show developers how to tackle common language design and implementation issues. This paper presents a case study in domain-specific language engineering. It reports on a project in which the author designed and built WebDSL, a DSL for web applications with a rich data model, using several DSLs for DSL engineering: SDF for syntax definition and Stratego/XT for code generation. The paper follows the stages in the development of the DSL. The contributions of the paper are three-fold. (1) A tutorial in the application of the specific SDF and Stratego/XT technology for building DSLs. (2) A description of an incremental DSL development process. (3) A domain-specific language for web-applications with rich data models. The paper concludes with a survey of related approaches.

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:785efdcd-a963-460f-a3d9-cd96e7d859f4

Delft University of Technology, Software Engineering Research Group

1872-5392

Technical Report Series TUD-SERG-2008-023

Institutional Repository

lecture notes

(c) 2008 The Author(s)
Springer