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Modular Language Descriptions

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Generative Programming and Component Engineering (GPCE 2004)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 3286))

Abstract

Formal semantic descriptions of full-scale programming languages can be notoriously difficult to write, as well as to read. Writing a description of a language usually starts from scratch: reuse from previous language descriptions requires first locating a relevant one, then manually copying bits of it – perhaps with extensive reformulation. Semantic descriptions are often intricate and intimidating documents to read, requiring a good grasp of the formalism used, as well an understanding of the interplay between the parts of the description concerned with different language constructs. Evolution of semantic descriptions, to cope with small changes or extensions to the described language, may require global reformulation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. BRICS & Department of Computer Science, University of Aarhus, Denmark

    Peter D. Mosses

Authors
  1. Peter D. Mosses
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Software Integrated Systems, Vanderbilt University, P.O. Box 1829, 37235, Sta. B. Nashville, TN, USA

    Gabor Karsai

  2. Software Engineering Research Group, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

    Eelco Visser

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© 2004 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Mosses, P.D. (2004). Modular Language Descriptions. In: Karsai, G., Visser, E. (eds) Generative Programming and Component Engineering. GPCE 2004. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 3286. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-30175-2_27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-30175-2_27

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-23580-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-30175-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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