Engineering Tagging Languages for DSLs

TL;DR

This paper introduces a systematic method for creating DSL-specific tagging languages that enhance readability, reusability, and type safety, while reducing implementation effort through schema-driven generation.

Contribution

It proposes a combined approach to define DSL-specific tag languages and schemas, balancing customization and reuse with systematic derivation to lower development overhead.

Findings

The approach enables the creation of tailored tag languages for any DSL.

Schema-driven generation reduces implementation effort.

The method improves modularity and reusability of tagging artifacts.

Abstract

To keep a DSL clean, readable and reusable in different contexts, it is useful to define a separate tagging language. A tag model logically adds information to the tagged DSL model while technically keeping the artifacts separated. Using a generic tagging language leads to promiscuous tag models, whereas defining a target DSL-specific tag language has a high initial overhead. This paper presents a systematic approach to define a DSL-specific tag language and a corresponding schema language, combining the advantages of both worlds: (a) the tag language specifically fits to the DSL, (b) the artifacts are kept separated and enabling reuse with different tag decorations, (c) the tag language follows a defined type schema, and (d) systematic derivation considerably reduces the effort necessary to implement the tag language. An example shows that it can at least partially be realized by a generator and applied for any kind of DSL. Index Terms Software Engineering, Modeling, MDE, GSE