Domain-Specific Languages (Addison-Wesley Signature Series (Fowler)) - Hardcover

Fowler, Martin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0321712943 ISBN 13: 9780321712943

Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional, 2010

Synopsis

When carefully selected and used, Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) may simplify complex code, promote effective communication with customers, improve productivity, and unclog development bottlenecks. In Domain-Specific Languages, noted software development expert Martin Fowler first provides the information software professionals need to decide if and when to utilize DSLs. Then, where DSLs prove suitable, Fowler presents effective techniques for building them, and guides software engineers in choosing the right approaches for their applications.

This book’s techniques may be utilized with most modern object-oriented languages; the author provides numerous examples in Java and C#, as well as selected examples in Ruby. Wherever possible, chapters are organized to be self-standing, and most reference topics are presented in a familiar patterns format.

Armed with this wide-ranging book, developers will have the knowledge they need to make important decisions about DSLs―and, where appropriate, gain the significant technical and business benefits they offer.

 

The topics covered include:

•      How DSLs compare to frameworks and libraries, and when those alternatives are sufficient

•      Using parsers and parser generators, and parsing external DSLs

•      Understanding, comparing, and choosing DSL language constructs

•      Determining whether to use code generation, and comparing code generation strategies

•      Previewing new language workbench tools for creating DSLs

About this title

About the Author

Martin Fowler is Chief Scientist at ThoughtWorks. He describes himself as “an author, speaker, consultant, and general loudmouth on software development. I concentrate on designing enterprise software―looking at what makes a good design and what practices are needed to come up with good design.” Fowler’s books include Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture; UML Distilled, Third Edition; and (with Kent Beck, John Brant, and William Opdyke) Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code. All are published by Addison-Wesley.

From the Back Cover

Designed as a wide-ranging guide to Domain Specific Languages (DSLs) and how to approach building them, this book covers a variety of different techniques available for DSLs. The goal is to provide readers with enough information to make an informed choice about whether or not to use a DSL and what kinds of DSL techniques to employ. Part I is a 150-page narrative overview that gives you a broad understanding of general principles.  The reference material in Parts II through VI provides the details and examples you will need to get started using the various techniques discussed.  Both internal and external DSL topics are covered, in addition to alternative computational models and code generation. Although the general principles and patterns presented can be used with whatever programming language you happen to be using, most of the examples are in Java or C#.

Edition details

• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0321712943
• ISBN 13: 9780321712943
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 640