Part 2. Implementing DSLs

On the surface, DSL syntax appears to be aligned to the dialect that the domain user speaks in his daily life. Part 1 focused mainly on the importance of making your software speak the language of the domain. But even when you’ve accomplished this, behind the syntax of the DSL is an underlying semantic model that you need to develop, following principles of well-designed abstractions. Unless you have a semantic model that is extensible, malleable, and composable, it’ll be difficult to have an expressive syntax on top.

Part 2 (chapters 4 through 8) discusses all the idioms and best practices that make a good semantic model.

When you design a DSL, it is important to use the most appropriate language that offers the ...

Get DSLs in Action now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.