Domain-Specific Language (DSL)

Updated 09 Sep 2026

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What it is
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  a programming language or notation purpose-built for one specific domain, focused on domain abstraction rather than general-purpose flexibility — distinct from a General-Purpose Language (GPL) like Java or Python
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Types
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  external DSL — has its own grammar and parser, standalone from any host language (e.g. SQL)
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  internal DSL — built on top of and embedded within a host language (e.g. LINQ in C#)
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Examples
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  SQL (database queries), HTML/CSS (web UI layout), Gradle/Ant/Makefile (build automation), Terraform/Ansible (infrastructure as code), Gherkin (BDD testing), BPMN (workflow modeling)
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DSL design steps
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  grammar — defining the domain's structure
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  parsing — creating an AST (abstract syntax tree) containing domain-specific nodes
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  semantic analysis — validating domain rules
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  transformation and execution — running the DSL, or converting it into another form
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What a DSL is built from
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  domains, recipes, rules, grammars, an AST
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Role in recording design
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  itself a form of documented design description
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  explicitly represents domain-specific logic
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  supports traceability from requirements to implementation/design
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  facilitates communication between technical and non-technical stakeholders
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  complements UML/DFD by adding domain-specific notation
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Tools
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  Unavailable reference
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References
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  Martin Fowler (DSL Book, 2010); Mernik et al. (2005).
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Related
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  Model-Based Design (MBD)

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Domain-Specific Language (DSL)

What it is

Types

Examples

DSL design steps

What a DSL is built from

Role in recording design

Tools

References

Related

Linked references 2