Online Name-Based Navigation for Software Meta-languages

Software language design and implementation often involve specifications written in various esoteric meta-languages. Language workbenches generally include support for precise name-based navigation when browsing language specifications <i>locally</i>, but such support is lacking when browsing the same specifications <i>online</i> in code...

Using Spoofax to Support Online Code Navigation

Spoofax is a language workbench. A Spoofax language specification generally includes name resolution: the analysis of bindings between definitions and references. When browsing code in the specified language using Spoofax, the bindings appear as hyperlinks, supporting precise name-based code navigation. However, Spoofax cannot be used for...

A Component-Based Formal Language Workbench

The CBS framework supports component-based specification of programming languages. It aims to significantly reduce the effort of formal language specification, and thereby encourage language developers to exploit formal semantics more widely. CBS provides an extensive library of reusable language specification components, facilitating co...

Declarative Syntax Definition for Modern Language Workbenches

Programming languages are one of the key components of computer science,<br/>allowing programmers to control, define, and change the behaviour of computer<br/>systems. However, programming languages require considerable effort to design, implement, and maintain. Fortunately, declarative approaches can be used to define programming languages...

Lessons learned from developing mbeddr: a case study in language engineering with MPS

Language workbenches are touted as a promising technology to engineer languages for use in a wide range of domains, from programming to science to business. However, not many real-world case studies exist that evaluate the suitability of language workbench technology for this task. This paper contains such a case study. In particular, we...

Principled Syntactic Code Completion using Placeholders

Principled syntactic code completion enables developers to change source code by inserting code templates, thus increasing developer efficiency and supporting language exploration. However, existing code completion systems are ad-hoc and neither complete nor sound. They are not complete and only provide few code templates for selected...

Bootstrapping Domain-Specific Meta-Languages in Language Workbenches

It is common practice to bootstrap compilers of programming languages. By using the compiled language to implement the compiler, compiler developers can code in their own high-level language and gain a large-scale test case. In this paper, we investigate bootstrapping of compiler-compilers as they occur in language workbenches. Language...

Declaratively Defining Domain-Specific Language Debuggers

Tool support is vital to the effectiveness of domain-specific languages. With language workbenches, domain-specific languages and their tool support can be generated from a combined, high-level specification. This paper shows how such a specification can be extended to describe a debugger for a language. To realize this, we introduce a meta...

Building Blocks for Language Workbenches

This dissertation presents research on techniques, methods, and tool support for domain-specific language engineering. Domain-specific language engineering is the discipline of designing, developing, and maintaining domain-specific programming languages. The focus of this thesis is the architecture of language workbenches their underlying...

Integrated Language Definition Testing: Enabling Test-Driven Language Development

The reliability of compilers, interpreters, and development environments for programming languages is essential for effective software development and maintenance. They are often tested only as an afterthought. Languages with a smaller scope, such as domain-specific languages, often remain untested. General-purpose testing techniques and test...