Domain-Specific Development with Visual Studio DSL Tools

2. Creating and Using DSLs

Introduction

The purpose of this chapter is to touch on all of the principal aspects of defining a domain-specific language (DSL) with the Microsoft DSL Tools. We also introduce an example scenario in which the DSL Tools are used. The later chapters will then go into more detail on each topic.

This chapter has three sections. First, we introduce a development group that finds that the DSL Tools improve its productivity, and we look at why that is so and something of the process that the group follows to create and use the DSLs.

Second, we look at the practical steps of creating a DSL, touching briefly on each of the topics that will be discussed in turn in later chapters.

Finally, we take a look at the main components ...