Can domain-specific languages be implemented by service-oriented architecture?
Shih-Hsi Alex Liu, Adam Cardenas, Xang Xiong, Marjan Mernik, Barrett R. Bryant, Jeff Gray · 2010
Although there have been many benefits of Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) reported from both academia and industry, the need to evolve a DSL definition in the presence of limited tool support results in several challenges that increase DSL development cost and constrain DSL adoption opportunities. As a new approach to address such limitations, this paper introduces a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) technique to implement an existing imperative DSL. The approach utilizes WSDL to perform lexical analysis and assist with syntax analysis. The paper also explores how WS-BPEL can be used to define a DSL grammar. Web services have potential to define the semantics of a DSL. The advantages that SOA offers in DSL implementation are realized through SOA's characteristics of interoperability, loose coupling, and technology-neutral implementation.