Episode 67: Roundtable on MDSD and PLE

DSL Preferences

The debate between textual and graphical domain-specific languages (DSLs) highlights the importance of user preference and project requirements. Juha Tolvanen suggests that the choice between textual, graphical, or even table-based DSLs should depend on what feels most natural for the developers and the application area. Axel Uhl adds that text-based DSLs are generally better understood, especially when dealing with complex issues like model merging and versioning 1.

A model is not just some boxes drawn lines between it, that's not the model. Although everybody thinks models have to be boxes and lines and things like that. Models can be text as well.

--- Ruediger Schilling

This perspective underscores the flexibility and adaptability required in choosing the right DSL for specific tasks.

   

Industry Use

The application of DSLs in various industries reveals both opportunities and challenges. Juha Tolvanen shares an example from Porsche, where despite advancements in generating human-machine interfaces (HMI) with DSLs, users still prefer familiar tools like PowerPoint. This highlights the challenge for tool developers to create modeling functionalities that are as user-friendly as existing tools 2.

If you want to use some structure or formalism, we are forcing people to use some other tools than the PowerPoint.

--- Juha Tolvanen

Axel Uhl also notes the potential of integrating smart documents with XML bridges to enhance usability, suggesting a future where DSLs could seamlessly integrate with everyday office tools.