A Grammar of Digital Fabrication Machines

O'Leary, Jasper Tran; Lee, Khang; Peek, Nadya

doi:10.1145/3411763.3451829

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Beyond familiar uses such as configuration or NoSQL languages (e.g. MongoDB), they are used in domains as varied as statistical analysis [162], web development [27], narrative [58] and game generation [81], chatbots [184], dance [275], and fabrication [349]. We are interested in building a better understanding of JSON-style DSLs precisely because they are so prevalent-although their sudden prominence (Fig.…”

Section: Domain-specific Languagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some of the more familiar applications involve application configuration (such as that of Webpack [382]) and NoSQL query languages (such as MongoDB [32] or ElasticSearch [170]). They have also been used for narrative generation [58,111], game generation [81], chatbots [184], dance [275], fabrication [349], and a variety of others. The general lessons learned from these projects and the philosophy of end-user empowerment through DSLs can be applied to many domains.…”

Section: Chapter 1 Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding and Enhancing JSON-based DSL Interfaces for Visualization

McNutt¹

2023

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Domain-specific languages represented in data serialization formats (such as Javascript Object Notation or JSON) are an increasingly common means to control numerous systems.These range from database queries to application configuration, narrative generation, Twitter bots, data visualization, and many other areas.These languages allow potentially unsophisticated human users to concisely specify their intent through logic and notation that is relevant to task domain.Further, they provide a means for computational agents to easily manipulate that form, allowing for powerful recommendation engines and systems of automated analyses.In this thesis, we consider how end-user agency might be enhanced and maintained through the design of tools that support these domain-specific languages, as well as through the study of the design of the languages themselves.In support of this goal, we conducted four interconnected projects which variously study how JSON-based DSLs are designed, how abstraction can be integrated into those languages, how interfaces can be designed to specifically facilitate their manipulation, as well as how those programs might be automatically validated.Through these projects, we demonstrate that giving primacy to these textual interfaces as design elements can be valuable for end users.We find that this style of interventions are useful for helping end users learn, use, and re-use programs written in these languages.We primarily consider languages focused on data visualization tasks, as there has been substantial work in the visualization research community on this form of interface—although the lessons learned could be applied to any relevant domain.

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Section: Domain-specific Languagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Chapter 1 Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding and Enhancing JSON-based DSL Interfaces for Visualization

McNutt¹

2023

Preprint

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“…Beyond familiar uses such as configuration or NoSQL languages (e.g. MongoDB), they are used in domains as varied as statistical analysis [45], web development [5], narrative [15] and game generation [20], chatbots [52], dance [83], and fabrication [106]. We are interested in building a better understanding of JSON-style DSLs precisely because they are so prevalent-although their sudden prominence (Fig.…”

Section: Domain Specific Languagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

No Grammar to Rule Them All: A Survey of JSON-style DSLs for Visualization

McNutt¹

2022

Preprint

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There has been substantial growth in the use of JSON-based grammars, as well as other standard data serialization languages, to create visualizations. Each of these grammars serves a purpose: some focus on particular computational tasks (such as animation), some are concerned with certain chart types (such as maps), and some target specific data domains (such as ML). Despite the prominence of this interface form, there has been little detailed analysis of the characteristics of these languages. In this study, we survey and analyze the design and implementation of 57 JSON-style DSLs for visualization. We analyze these languages supported by a collected corpus of examples for each DSL (consisting of 4395 instances) across a variety of axes organized into concerns related to domain, conceptual model, language relationships, affordances, and general practicalities. We identify tensions throughout these areas, such as between formal and colloquial specifications, among types of users, and within the composition of languages. Through this work, we seek to support language implementers by elucidating the choices, opportunities, and tradeoffs in visualization DSL design.

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