Software Language Engineering: Creating Domain-Specific Languages Using Metamodels [Paperback]

Anneke Kleppe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321553454 | ISBN-13: 978-0321553454 | Publication Date: December 19, 2008 | Edition: 1

Software practitioners are rapidly discovering the immense value of Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) in solving problems within clearly definable problem domains. Developers are applying DSLs to improve productivity and quality in a wide range of areas, such as finance, combat simulation, macro scripting, image generation, and more. But until now, there have been few practical resources that explain how DSLs work and how to construct them for optimal use.

 

Software Language Engineering fills that need. Written by expert DSL consultant Anneke Kleppe, this is the first comprehensive guide to successful DSL design. Kleppe systematically introduces and explains every ingredient of an effective

language specification, including its description of concepts, how those concepts are denoted, and what those concepts mean in relation to the problem domain. Kleppe carefully illuminates good design strategy, showing how to maximize the flexibility of the languages you create. She also demonstrates powerful techniques for creating new DSLs that cooperate well with general-purpose languages and leverage their power.

 

Completely tool-independent, this book can serve as the primary resource for readers using Microsoft DSL tools, the Eclipse Modeling Framework, openArchitectureWare, or any other DSL toolset. It contains multiple examples, an illustrative running case study, and insights and background information drawn from Kleppe’s leading-edge work as a DSL researcher.

 

Specific topics covered include

 

• Discovering the types of problems that DSLs can solve, and when to use them
• Comparing DSLs with general-purpose languages, frameworks, APIs, and other approaches
• Understanding the roles and tools available to language users and engineers
• Creating each component of a DSL specification
• Modeling both concrete and abstract syntax
• Understanding and describing language semantics
• Defining textual and visual languages based on object-oriented metamodeling and graph transformations
• Using metamodels and associated tools to generate grammars
• Integrating object-oriented modeling with graph theory
• Building code generators for new languages
• Supporting multilanguage models and programs

 

This book provides software engineers with all the guidance they need to create DSLs that solve real problems more rapidly, and with higher-quality code.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Kleppe provides a rewarding reading experience. She masterfully blends the valuable insights of both academics and practitioners, and her holistic approach to the subject will benefit software engineers with helpful insights into their craft and tools.”

–Patrick Bailey, Computer Science Department, Calvin College

 

“With the advent of domain-specific languages in modern software development, an understanding of software language engineering becomes essential for developers. Kleppe offers an erudite and easy-going introduction to the key concepts of the subject.”

–Anders Hessellund, IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark

 

“Ms. Kleppe has risen to the challenge by successfully combining the traditional theory of text-based programming languages with the brave new world of computer modeling languages into a single comprehensive and consistent conceptual framework. Furthermore, she has done so with wit and style. The text is eminently readable without being condescending, and should please both pragmatically inclined software developers as well as theoreticians who seek abstractions. This is a rare example of a technical book that fully realizes the adage that ‘things should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.’”

–Bran Selic, Malina Software Corp.

 

“By finally gathering under one roof the philosophy, concepts, and terminology of language design–and by breaking down many of the needless barriers between graphical and textual languages–this book provides a good introduction for the novice and is a useful refresher for the expert.”

–Dr. Laurence Tratt, Bournemouth University, UK

 

“Software Language Engineering is an excellent resource for teaching you how to create software languages that are specific to your domain by utilizing a domain modeling approach.”

–Dave Hendricksen, Software Architect

 

“Languages to define procedures, objects, and intent have proliferated unchecked since Ada Byron. Lady Lovelace first realized in 1830 that some day machines would be programmed. The vast majority of these languages have failed to feature much in the way of design, despite pioneering work by computer scientists such as Niklaus Wirth. But if, as Wirth says, “... precision and perfection are not a dispensable luxury, but a simple necessity,” then language design, in fact precise language design, becomes a critical skill. The advent of general language-modeling languages (like Meta Object Facility) and languages designed to be made domain-specific (like Unified Modeling Language) make this skill even more pressing. No one better understands these issues, or better presents a unified path to precise language design, than Anneke Kleppe. Using clear and concise examples and detailed explanations, this book gives the language designer (and in fact any architect or developer) the background, tools, and skills necessary to design general and domain-specific languages right, the first time. It belongs on the bookshelf of every systems architect and software developer.”

–Richard Mark Soley, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO, Object Management Group, Inc.

 

“In this book Anneke brings together the “old” knowledge of programming languages with the “new” field of modeling languages. She makes it crystal clear how they complement each other instead of how they compete with each other. I especially like the new term “mogram,” which is the generic term for both model and program. Anyone who is designing or implementing programming languages, modeling languages, or domain specific languages should read this book. It provides the reader with the fundamental background on software language engineering.”

–Jos Warmer, Partner at Odina

About the Author

Anneke Kleppe has over twenty years of experience in IT. She started her career in telecommunications and then worked as an independent consultant with her own company, Klasse Objecten. She has coached and trained employees of companies working with MDA, OCL, and UML. Currently, she is a consultant at Capgemini and is responsible for the introduction of domain-specific languages for various clients.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1 edition (December 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321553454
• ISBN-13: 978-0321553454
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,524,844 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, October 5, 2010

By 

kashif quayyum - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Software Language Engineering: Creating Domain-Specific Languages Using Metamodels (Paperback)

The title and description promised much, and my shelf of often-used computing books is dominated by Addison-Wesley, so I gave this a shot. Unfortunately, the book seems to be devoid of any real substance. I approached this book as a practitioner trying to build a DSL for production use, and wasn't able to find much beyond a regurgitation of one can get from the blogosphere. If this is your very first foray into DSLs it might be useful, otherwise you'll find Terrence Parr's "Language Implementation Patterns" to be a substantive and rewarding read, unlike this book. Also, Fowler's been threatening to publish his DSL book any day now.

7 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Reinventing the wheel. As a square., June 11, 2009

By 

Phillip C. V. Souza "Phillip Calçado" (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Software Language Engineering: Creating Domain-Specific Languages Using Metamodels (Paperback)

The author's reinvent terms that are already known for decades in computer science. Instead of building on top of existing knowledge she tries to create her own concepts but fails. If you are looking for information on Domain-Specific Languages or in programming languages in general stay away from this book.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The first in-depth guide to DSL design, covering language specification, concepts, DSL components and modeling, and much more, May 16, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Software Language Engineering: Creating Domain-Specific Languages Using Metamodels (Paperback)

SOFTWARE LANGUAGE ENGINEERING: CREATING DOMAIN-SPECIFIC LANGUAGES USING METAMODELS is written by a DSL consultant and is the first in-depth guide to DSL design, covering language specification, concepts, DSL components and modeling, and much more. A fine survey of DSL frameworks, APIs, and different approaches, this will reach any college-level, advanced library catering to IT programmers.