Domain specific language implementation via compile-time meta-programming

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Domain specific language implementation via compile-time meta-programming

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ACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems (TOPLAS) archive
Volume 30 , Issue 6 (October 2008) table of contents

Article No. 31

Year of Publication: 2008

ISSN:0164-0925

Author

Laurence Tratt

Bournemouth University, Dorset, United Kingdom

Publisher

ACM New York, NY, USA

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ABSTRACT

Domain specific languages (DSLs) are mini-languages that are increasingly seen as being a valuable tool for software developers and non-developers alike. DSLs must currently be created in an ad-hoc fashion, often leading to high development costs and implementations of variable quality. In this article, I show how expressive DSLs can be hygienically embedded in the Converge programming language using its compile-time meta-programming facility, the concept of DSL blocks, and specialised error reporting techniques. By making use of pre-existing facilities, and following a simple methodology, DSL implementation costs can be significantly reduced whilst leading to higher quality DSL implementations.

REFERENCES

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