Language workbench

• Specification of the language concepts or metamodel
• Specification of the editing environments for the domain-specific language
• Specification of the execution semantics, e.g. through interpretation and code generation

  Examples

• Racket is a cross platform language development workbench including compiler, JIT compiler, IDE and command line tools designed to accommodate creating both domain-specific languages and completely new languages with facilities to add new notation, constrain constructs, and create IDE tools.
• JetBrains MPS is a tool for designing domain-specific languages. It uses projectional editing which allows overcoming the limits of language parsers, and building DSL editors, such as ones with tables and diagrams. It implements language-oriented programming. MPS combines an environment for language definition, a language workbench, and an Integrated Development Environment for such languages.
• Kermeta is an open-source academic language workbench. The Kermeta workbench uses three different meta-languages: one meta-language for the abstract syntax ; one for the static semantics and one for the behavioral semantics.
• Melange is a language workbench that provides a modular approach for customizing, assembling and integrating multiple domain-specific language specifications and implementations.
• Spoofax is an open-source language workbench for generating parsers, type checkers, compilers, interpreters, as well as IDE plugins for Eclipse and IntelliJ. It uses SDF and a scannerless GLR parser for syntax, and formalisms derived from Stratego/XT for semantics.
• Xtext is an open-source software framework for developing programming languages and domain-specific languages. Unlike standard parser generators, Xtext generates not only a parser, but also a class model for the abstract syntax tree. In addition, it provides a fully featured, customizable Eclipse-based IDE.