Review of the Support for Modular Language Implementation with Embedding Approaches
Tom Dinkelaker · 2010
Embedded domain-specific languages (DSLs) are a new light-weight approach to implement DSLs with lower initial costs than traditional non-embedded DSL approaches. However, existing embedded DSL approaches only support a subset of DSLs that can be implemented with traditional non-embedded approaches. This is because existing embedding approaches lack support for important requirements that currently are only supported by traditional non-embedded approaches. This technical report iden-tifies important requirements for language implementation. It gives an extensive review of the support for a selection of desirable properties by embedding approaches that address these requirements. The review explains details of the available mechanisms in existing embedding approaches; it identifies open issues and limitations of the current techniques. To overcome current shortcomings of embedded DSL approaches, the review proposes a roadmap for the research in techniques for embedding DSLs. For the roadmap, the review draws conclusions from studying the available support for the desirable properties in related work on traditional non-embedded approaches.