[antlr-interest] what's in a name?

[Terence Parr]

On Aug 28, 2009, at 5:59 PM, C. Mundi wrote:

>
> Terence,
>
> After reading the entire manuscript, the original, "Language Design  
> Patterns," seems more appropriate than ever.  Many sections feel  
> like Language (Design Patterns) and others feel like (Language  
> Design) Patterns.  So I say you can claim the associative ambiguity  
> as a "feature."  :)

ha! lol. well, i do talk *some* about design, but it's more side  
comments, right?

> Instead, let me open another box o' monkeys (which will be in the  
> notes I'm sending to your publisher).  Domain specificity is a  
> characteristic of a language, and not necessarily of the tools used  
> to implement the language.  I'm sure the publisher wants DSL in the  
> title, in part because DSLs are Sexy and Hot Right Now.  (And I  
> would agree that's a good enough reason; I admire effective  
> marketing.)  But as I read the manuscript, I came away realizing  
> that -- apart from the choice of DSL-oriented examples -- the actual  
> patterns are for the most part broadly applicable beyond DSLs.  You  
> might convince me otherwise; you are the expert here.  I think your  
> book is not limited to DSLs, although that may be a good way to  
> position it at Amazon.
>

It's definitely more general; at this point DSL keyword is marketing.  
I also do many little languages as examples. Last chapter even  
discusses a RNA sequence matcher :)

Ter