This document discusses leveraging software product lines engineering techniques to construct domain-specific languages (DSLs). It presents an example of a family of languages for finite state machines that demonstrates variability points both syntactically and semantically. Challenges in developing language product lines like modeling variability, composing modular languages, and providing interfaces are discussed. The document demonstrates a tool for developing DSLs that supports variability modeling, configurable DSLs from language units, and extensions. Future work on program structure, constraints, and structural heterogeneity between platforms is also mentioned.

1. Leveraging Software Product Lines
Engineering in the construction of
Domain-Specific Languages
David Méndez Acuña
Benoît Combemale
VaryMDE
DiverSE Coffe – 23th April 2015

2. Problem statement
UML state machines
diagrams
Rhapsody
Classical
statecharts
States and simple transitions (triggers,
conditions, etc.)
Example: A family of languages for Finite
State Machines
A
B
event[condition]
Academic example:
Crane, M., Dingel, J., UML vs. classical vs. Rhapsody
statecharts: not all models are created equal.
Software & Systems Modeling. Vol. 6 No. 4. Springer-
Verlag 2007.
Semantic and syntactic variation
points in languages for FSM

3. Example: A family of languages for Finite State Machines
Family of Languages
Feature A
Feature B Feature B
F. D F. D F. D F. D F. D F. D
Language Product Line
Software Languages are Software too!
Software Engineering Techniques … Software Product Lines Engineering
Méndez-Acuña’s
PhD
Jean-Marie Favre, Dragan Gasevic, Ralf Lmmel, and Ekaterina Pek. Empirical Language Analysis in Software
Linguistics. In Software Language Engineering. Springer. 2011
Steffen Zschaler, Pablo Sánchez, Joo Santos, Mauricio Alférez, Awais Rashid, Lidia Fuentes, Ana Moreira,
Joo Arajo, and Uir Kulesza. VML* A Family of Languages for Variability Management in Software
Product Lines. In Software Language Engineering. Springer. 2010.

4. Challenges
Language Units
Family of DSLs
Variability Models &
Configuration
Feature A
Feature B Feature B
F. D F. D F. D F. D F. D F. D
Multi-dimensional & staged
variability modeling
Configured
DSL
Language Units
Composition
Modular Languages
Design

5. Let’s get fun!
Tool DEMO

6. The citizen watch
Initial
displays
alarm 1
alarm 2
start
T1
a
a
T2
David Harel. 1987. Statecharts:A visual formalism for complex systems. Sci. Comput. Program. 8, 3 (June 1987), 231-274.
Button
a
Display

7. The citizen watch
Initial
displays
alarm 1
alarm 2
start
T1
a
a
T2
David Harel. 1987. Statecharts:A visual formalism for complex systems. Sci. Comput. Program. 8, 3 (June 1987), 231-274.
while(alarm1.active){
println(‘(1) beep’)
}
while(alarm1.active){
println(‘(2) beep’)
}
doActivity
doActivity
Core FSM: State Machine, States,
Transitions,Triggers
Imperative Language:
Program, Loop, Conditions, …

8. The citizen watch
Core FSM: State Machine,
States,Transitions,Triggers
Imperative Language:
Program, Loop, Conditions, …Required
Interface
Provided
Interface
aggregation

9. The citizen watch
Initial
displays
alarm 1
alarm 2
start
T1
a
T2
David Harel. 1987. Statecharts:A visual formalism for complex systems. Sci. Comput. Program. 8, 3 (June 1987), 231-274.
Core FSM: State Machine, States,
Transitions,Triggers CompositeStates:
CompositeState, …+
Initial
displays
alarm 1
alarm 2
start
T1
a
a
T2

10. The citizen watch
Initial
displays
alarm 1
alarm 2
start
T1
a
T2
David Harel. 1987. Statecharts:A visual formalism for complex systems. Sci. Comput. Program. 8, 3 (June 1987), 231-274.
while(alarm1.active){
println(‘(1) beep’)
}
while(alarm1.active){
println(‘(2) beep’)
}
doActivity
doActivity
Core FSM: State Machine, States,
Transitions,Triggers CompositeStates:
CompositeState, …+

11. The citizen watch
Core FSM: State Machine,
States,Transitions,Triggers
Imperative Language:
Program, Loop, Conditions, …Required
Interface
Provided
Interface
CompositeStates:
CompositeState, …
Extension
Point
Extension
aggregation
extension

12. Melange
Some cool features coming…
From Variability Models to Software Languages
Engineering in the Large

13. Some cool features coming…
Program
+exec() : void
Statement
+eval() : void
Condition
+eval() : void
Loop
+eval() : void
VarDecl
+eval() : void
StatementListContainer
+exec() : void
Statement
+eval() : void
Method
+exec() : void
statements
0 .. *
statements0 .. *
Condition
+eval() : void
ForLoop
+eval() : void
LocalVariableStatement
+eval() : void
Statement
+eval() : void
Block
+eval() : void
IfStatement
+eval() : void
ForStatement
+eval() : void
VariableDeclaration
+eval() : void
statements
0 .. *Constraint
+eval(context : Map) : boolean
Provided Interface: Java Provided Interface: C#
Required Interface:
Finite State Machines
Binding
Java <-> FiniteStateMachines
Binding
C# <-> FiniteStateMachines
Structural heterogeneities

14. FORYOUR ATTENTION,
THANKYOU!
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS,
FEEDBACK?