Domain-specific languages for domain experts, not just for programmers

Productivity has improved each time programming languages have raised the level of abstraction. This trend continues today with languages that narrow the scope they address – referred to as domain-specific languages (DSLs). However, many of these DSLs are built by developers for developers and tend to concentrate on the solution domain, like code. In this talk we show that better results can be achieved when a DSL is closely aligned with the problem domain – raising abstraction beyond the code. Such languages foster collaboration, enable domain experts to verify and validate designs, and, in many cases, allow generating code, configurations, tests, reports, and more. We present practical examples of how languages for domain experts are defined and applied.

Nutzen für den Teilnehmer:
Attendees can expect to gain insights into the practical implementation and benefits of applying domain-specific language that is used by domain-experts rather than by developers. In particular, quality of the specifications and delivered software is better as domain experts can actively participate in the development: at least validate and verify the design, but also in many cases create the designs directly. The software team and team leaders will get insights on how to create language support for their development projects. Guidelines are demonstrated with examples from practice.

Behandelte Problemstellungen:
All studies show that collaboration with domain experts is highly important for success. Applying a language that domain experts can use to verify and validate the development artefacts and even specify the requirements enables this collaboration.

Quality and productivity have always improved when the level of abstraction has risen. Domain-specific languages that target problem domain rather than solution domain (e.g. code) continue this trend.

This talk describes, based on evidence from different industries, how domain-specific languages can be defined to be applied by domain experts - contrary to more typical ones when developers define them to other developers.

Vortragssprache: Englisch
Level: Fortgeschrittene
Zielgruppe: architects, developers, subject matter/domain experts, managers

Unternehmen:
MetaCase

Dr Juha-Pekka Tolvanen