research-article

Xbase: implementing domain-specific languages for Java

Authors:

Moritz Eysholdt,

Sebastian Zarnekow,

Robert von Massow,

Wilhelm Hasselbring,

Michael HanusAuthors Info & Claims

GPCE '12: Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Generative Programming and Component Engineering

Pages 112 - 121

https://doi.org/10.1145/2371401.2371419

Published: 26 September 2012 Publication History

Abstract

Xtext is an open-source framework for implementing external, textual domain-specific languages (DSLs). So far, most DSLs implemented with Xtext and similar tools focus on structural aspects such as service specifications and entities. Because behavioral aspects are significantly more complicated to implement, they are often delegated to general-purpose programming languages. This approach introduces complex integration patterns and the DSL's high level of abstraction is compromised.

We present Xbase as part of Xtext, an expression language that can be reused via language inheritance in any DSL implementation based on Xtext. Xbase expressions provide both control structures and program expressions in a uniform way. Xbase is statically typed and tightly integrated with the Java type system. Languages extending Xbase inherit the syntax of a Java-like expression language as well as language infrastructure components, including a parser, an unparser, a linker, a compiler and an interpreter. Furthermore, the framework provides integration into the Eclipse IDE including debug and refactoring support.

The application of Xbase is presented by means of a domain model language which serves as a tutorial example and by the implementation of the programming language Xtend. Xtend is a functional and object-oriented general purpose language for the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). It is built on top of Xbase which is the reusable expression language that is the foundation of Xtend.

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Cited By

Giraudet TCombemale BWimmer MChechik MEgyed A(2024)Interactivity and Collaboration in the Context of Heterogeneous ModelingProceedings of the ACM/IEEE 27th International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems10.1145/3652620.3688205(174-179)Online publication date: 22-Sep-2024
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Hacker OBuchmann T(2024)An Expression Language for Model TransformationsModel-Driven Engineering and Software Development10.1007/978-3-031-66339-0_6(115-136)Online publication date: 6-Sep-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-66339-0_6
Bettini LBourr KPugliese RTiezzi F(2023)Coordinating and programming multiple ROS-based robots with X-KLAIMInternational Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer (STTT)10.1007/s10009-023-00727-w25:5-6(747-764)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2023
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Index Terms

Xbase: implementing domain-specific languages for Java
1. Software and its engineering
  1. Software notations and tools
  2. Software organization and properties
    1. Software system structures
      1. Software architectures

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Published In

cover image ACM Conferences

GPCE '12: Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Generative Programming and Component Engineering

September 2012

148 pages

ISBN:9781450311298

DOI:10.1145/2371401

General Chair:
Klaus Ostermann
University of Marburg, Germany
,
Program Chair:
Walter Binder
University of Lugano, Switzerland

ACM SIGPLAN Notices Volume 48, Issue 3
GPCE '12
March 2013
140 pages
ISSN:0362-1340
EISSN:1558-1160
DOI:10.1145/2480361
Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © 2012 ACM.

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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SIGPLAN: ACM Special Interest Group on Programming Languages

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 26 September 2012

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Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung

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GPCE'12

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SIGPLAN

GPCE'12: Generative Programming and Component Engineering

September 26 - 27, 2012

Dresden, Germany

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Overall Acceptance Rate 56 of 180 submissions, 31%

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Cited By

Giraudet TCombemale BWimmer MChechik MEgyed A(2024)Interactivity and Collaboration in the Context of Heterogeneous ModelingProceedings of the ACM/IEEE 27th International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems10.1145/3652620.3688205(174-179)Online publication date: 22-Sep-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3652620.3688205
Hacker OBuchmann T(2024)An Expression Language for Model TransformationsModel-Driven Engineering and Software Development10.1007/978-3-031-66339-0_6(115-136)Online publication date: 6-Sep-2024
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-66339-0_6
Bettini LBourr KPugliese RTiezzi F(2023)Coordinating and programming multiple ROS-based robots with X-KLAIMInternational Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer (STTT)10.1007/s10009-023-00727-w25:5-6(747-764)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10009-023-00727-w
Bettini LDi Ruscio DIovino LPierantonio AGuerra EIovino L(2020)Edelta 2.0Proceedings of the 23rd ACM/IEEE International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems: Companion Proceedings10.1145/3417990.3419501(1-10)Online publication date: 16-Oct-2020
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Mai PGoknil APastore FBriand LRothermel GBae D(2020)SMRLProceedings of the ACM/IEEE 42nd International Conference on Software Engineering: Companion Proceedings10.1145/3377812.3382152(9-12)Online publication date: 27-Jun-2020
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Shaikhha AJovanovic VKoch CSchaefer IReichenbach CStorm T(2019)Compiler generation for performance-oriented embedded DSLs (short paper)Proceedings of the 18th ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Generative Programming: Concepts and Experiences10.1145/3357765.3359520(94-101)Online publication date: 21-Oct-2019
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Bettini LDi Ruscio DIovino LPierantonio A(2019)Quality-Driven Detection and Resolution of Metamodel SmellsIEEE Access10.1109/ACCESS.2019.28913577(16364-16376)Online publication date: 2019
https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2891357
Leduc MDegueule TCombemale BPearce DMayerhofer TSteimann F(2018)Modular language composition for the massesProceedings of the 11th ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Software Language Engineering10.1145/3276604.3276622(47-59)Online publication date: 24-Oct-2018
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Butting ADalibor MLeonhardt GRumpe BWortmann APearce DMayerhofer TSteimann F(2018)Deriving fluent internal domain-specific languages from grammarsProceedings of the 11th ACM SIGPLAN International Conference on Software Language Engineering10.1145/3276604.3276621(187-199)Online publication date: 24-Oct-2018
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Harburg ELewis DEasterday MGerber E(2018)CheerOnACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/324104325:6(1-46)Online publication date: 20-Dec-2018
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