Prototyping domain-specific language semantics

Abstract

Domain-specific languages (DSLs) need semantics. For an external, executable, metamodel-based DSL, this can be done in an operational or a translational way. In my dissertation, I develop a framework that allows both. It provides flexibility for semantics description in two axes: on the one axis, operational semantics is fixed and one can choose between different description languages (QVT, Java, Prolog, Abstract State Machines, and Scheme); on the other axis, Scheme is fixed and one can choose between operational and translational semantics. Using operational semantics, DSL program interpretation can be animated and debugged. Equivalence of operational semantics described with different languages can be tested by comparing execution traces.

LWiSSy: A domain specific language to model wireless sensor and actuators network systems

“…RELATED WORK Several papers discuss using DSLs for the development of WSAN systems [5], [8], [9]. However, existent work does not promote a clear division between structural and behavioral concepts.…”

“…The design of each level is in charge of their respective expert. Other DSLs were proposed for this context [5], [8], [9], but they do not encompass all requirements addressed by LWiSSy, such as support for actuators, WSAN protocols and more than one application simultaneously running in a system. Moreover, LWiSSy has expressivity enough to encompass a wide range of application domains and to allow optimization of the WSAN operation.…”

Building Adaptive Rich Interfaces for Interactive Ubiquitous Applications

“…In DSM the application's models are built by using Domain Specific Languages (DSLs) (Sadilek, 2008), which can be defined through metamodels that represent the knowledge of a particular domain. The use of DSLs for modeling, rather than general purpose languages like the Unified Modeling Language (UML), allows the expression of solutions in the language and abstraction level of the problem domain.…”