An approach to build XML-based domain specific languages solutions for client-side web applications. (September 2017) - Chavarriaga, Enrique
Summary: Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) allow for the building of applications that ease the labour of both software engineers and domain experts thanks to the level of abstraction they provide. In cases where the domain is restricted to Client-Side Web Applications (CSWA), XML-based languages, frameworks and widgets are commonly combined in order to provide fast, robust and flexible solutions. This article presents an approach designed to create XML-based DSL solutions for CSWA that includes an evaluation engine, a programming model and a lightweight development environment. The approach is able to evaluate multiple XML-based DSL programs simultaneously to provide solutions to those Domain Specific Problems for CSWAs. To better demonstrate the capabilities and potential of this novel approach, we will employ a couple of case studies, namely Anisha and FeedPsi . Highlights: DSLs ease labour of software engineers and domain experts. Theoretical definitions and details about our PsiEngine are provided. PsiEngine is a full production framework that implements up to 7 different DSLs. Design and development methodologies to get DSL XML-based solutions are described. The study cases developed with the referred methodologies validate our approaches.