[REBOL] Language-oriented programming
From: rboyd:coastalenvironmental at: 20-Sep-2007 9:38
Sounds "vaguely" familiar. :-)
http://www.infoq.com/news/2007/09/Language-oriented-programming
Language-oriented programming : an evolutionary step beyond
object-oriented programming?
Object oriented programming provides a useful modelling paradigm based
on hierarchies and tree shaped abstractions. Reality however is not
always hierarchical, highlights Neal Ford. Its "tangled branches and
interconnections" are rather difficult to model with idealized tree
pictures. And this results in a widespread use of aspects and XML and
eventually adds complexity undermining the very purpose of abstraction.
To remedy to this issue the abstraction level should be upgraded and to
this end Ford suggests using languages rather than hierarchies as a
modelling mechanism.
According to Martin Fowler object-oriented domain modelling allows to
build up a vocabulary
but the grammar -- ways to combine these
vocabularies -- is not defined; DSLs add this grammar side. Therefore
language-oriented programming inducts "this shift of moving from
thinking about vocabulary, which is objects, to the notion of a language
that combines vocabulary and grammar."
As for IDE support there are today at least three major vendors offering
this kind of tooling to support language oriented programming:
Intentional Software developed by Charles Simonyi, Microsoft's Software
Factories, Meta Programming System developed by JetBrains.
[ Above quote focuses on IDEs, not languages ... but still should
mention REBOL ]
