Neverlang: A framework for feature-oriented language development

Vacchi, Edoardo; Cazzola, Walter

doi:10.1016/j.cl.2015.02.001

Cited by 60 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…That means that the reverse engineering process will result in a language product line containing as many features as constructs exist in the DSLs. The approach relies on Neverlang [51] and AiDE [52] as tooling for language modularization and variability management respectively.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reverse engineering language product lines from existing DSL variants

Méndez-Acuña

Galindo

Combemale

et al. 2017

Journal of Systems and Software

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The use of domain-specific languages (DSLs) has become a successful technique to develop complex systems. In this context, an emerging phenomenon is the existence of DSL variants, which are different versions of a DSL adapted to specific purposes but that still share commonalities. In such a case, the challenge for language designers is to reuse, as much as possible, previously defined language constructs to narrow implementation from scratch. To overcome this challenge, recent research in software languages engineering introduced the the notion of language product lines. Similarly to software product lines, language product lines are often built from a set of existing DSL variants.In this article, we propose a reverse-engineering technique to ease-off such a development scenario. Our approach receives a set of DSL variants which are used to automatically recover a language modular design and to synthesize the corresponding variability models. The validation is performed in a project involving industrial partners that required three different variants of a DSL for finite state machines. This validation shows that our approach is able to correctly identify commonalities and variability.

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Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reverse engineering language product lines from existing DSL variants

Méndez-Acuña

Galindo

Combemale

et al. 2017

Journal of Systems and Software

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“…The Neverlang [6] language workbench is built around the language feature concept. Language components, called slice s, embodying the language features are developed as separate units by tying together some module s. A module may contain a syntax definition and/or one or more semantic role s. Each slice defines and needs one or more types.…”

Section: Neverlangmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We give a brief overview of them in the following. Many of these techniques ultimately materialize as features of a language workbench: LISA [18] , Melange [5] , MontiCore [19] , Neverlang [6] , Rascal [20] , or Spoofax [21] to name a few.…”

Section: On Language Reusementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over the last decade, the Software Language Engineering (SLE) community has proposed various reuse techniques, mostly leveraging previous experiences in software reuse (e.g., aspects [2] , polymorphic [3] and parametric [4] reuse, composition operators [5,6] , language product lines [7][8][9] ). Although these techniques address a wide range of scenarios, the development of realistic languages is still difficult as it requires to combine them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Concern-oriented language development (COLD): Fostering reuse in language engineering

Combemale

Kienzle

Mussbacher

et al. 2018

Computer Languages, Systems & Structures

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a b s t r a c t Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) bridge the gap between the problem space, in which stakeholders work, and the solution space, i.e., the concrete artifacts defining the target system. They are usually small and intuitive languages whose concepts and expressiveness fit a particular domain. DSLs recently found their application in an increasingly broad range of domains, e.g., cyber-physical systems, computational sciences and high performance computing. Despite recent advances, the development of DSLs is error-prone and requires substantial engineering efforts. Techniques to reuse from one DSL to another and to support customization to meet new requirements are thus particularly welcomed. Over the last decade, the Software Language Engineering (SLE) community has proposed various reuse techniques. However, all these techniques remain disparate and complicate the development of real-world DSLs involving different reuse scenarios.In this paper, we introduce the Concern-Oriented Language Development (COLD) approach, a new language development model that promotes modularity and reusability of language concerns . A language concern is a reusable piece of language that consists of usual language artifacts (e.g., abstract syntax, concrete syntax, semantics) and exhibits three specific interfaces that support (1) variability management, (2) customization to a specific context, and (3) proper usage of the reused artifact. The approach is supported by a conceptual model which introduces the required concepts to implement COLD. We also present * Corresponding author. J.-M. Jézéquel et al. / Computer Languages, Systems & Structures 54 (2018) [139][140][141][142][143][144][145][146][147][148][149][150][151][152][153][154][155] concrete examples of some language concerns and the current state of their realization with metamodel-based and grammar-based language workbenches. We expect this work to provide insights into how to foster reuse in language specification and implementation, and how to support it in language workbenches.

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“…EMF's Ecore [24], MPS [28]) or grammars (cf. Neverlang [25], Xtext [1]). Concrete syntaxes can be implemented through parsing textual models [14] or graphical editors [27].…”

Section: Modeling Dsml Variabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Controlled and Extensible Variability of Concrete and Abstract Syntax with Independent Language Features

Butting

Eikermann

Kautz

et al. 2018

Proceedings of the 12th International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-Intensive Systems

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ABSTRACT"Software languages are software too", hence their creation, evolution, and maintenance is subject to the same challenges. Managing multiple stand-alone variants of similar DSLs raises the related maintenance and evolution efforts for the languages and their associated tooling (analyses, transformations, editors, etc.) to a higher power. Software variability management techniques can help to harness this complexity. Research in software language variability focuses on metamodels and consequently mainly supports managing the variability of abstract syntaxes, omitting concrete syntax variability management. We present an approach to manage controlled syntactic variability of extensible software language product lines through identification of dedicated syntax variation points and specification of variants from independently developed features. This fosters software language reuse and reduces creation, maintenance, and evolution efforts. The approach is realized with the MontiCore language workbench and evaluated through a case study on architecture description languages. It facilitates creating, maintaining, and evolving the concrete and abstract syntax of families of languages and, hence, reduces the effort of software language engineering.

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Neverlang: A framework for feature-oriented language development

Cited by 60 publications

References 61 publications

Reverse engineering language product lines from existing DSL variants

Reverse engineering language product lines from existing DSL variants

Concern-oriented language development (COLD): Fostering reuse in language engineering

Controlled and Extensible Variability of Concrete and Abstract Syntax with Independent Language Features

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