Building User-Friendly DSLs

Domain-specific languages are custom text or graphical interfaces that allow domain experts to create and modify their own software systems. With a syntax that’s clear and familiar to the non-technical user, DSLs are precise enough to generate working software in traditional code with. Written for developers who need to create user-facing DSLs, Domain-Specific Languages Made Easy unlocks clear and practical methods to create DSLs with easy-to-use interfaces. By working through a detailed example of a car rental company, you’ll see how creating a custom DSL can get rid of time-consuming and bureaucratic code adjustments, freeing you up to work on features whilst your clients and colleagues write their software themselves!

About the technology
Imagine if your non-technical clients could safely produce software without the need for anyone to manually write code. Domain-specific languages are purpose-built programming interfaces that make that possible—no programming experience required. This frees software developers from the time-consuming translation of a client’s functional and domain-specific specifications, replacing complex code for modern and intuitive UIs.

About the book
Domain-Specific Languages Made Easy shows you how to design and build modern DSLs for business users. Drawing on years of industry experience, author Meinte Boersma lays out an iterative process for creating languages accessible to domain experts such as operations specialists, data analysts, and financial experts. You’ll start with an overview of software language engineering before diving into the unique projectional editing paradigm that makes it easy to produce DSLs for business. There are no special tools or proprietary software required—you’ll work with an open source JavaScript stack that ensures the techniques you learn are easy to port between projects.