Working with the Domain-Specific Language Designer

This section covers how to use the Domain-Specific Language Designer and its set of supporting tools, which include DSL Explorer and the DSL Details window. You can use the Domain-Specific Language Designer to create and customize a domain-specific language definition, which you can then use to create a custom generated designer to fulfill the needs of a specific domain. For more information, see Overview of Domain-Specific Language Tools, Domain-Specific Language Designer Terminology Overview and Walkthrough: Creating a Domain-Specific Language Solution.

In This Section

• Common Tasks (Domain-Specific Language Designer)
  Covers common tasks for the Domain-Specific Language Designer, such as how to zoom and how to toggle mapping on and off.

• Defining Classes and Relationships
  Describes how to add and define domain classes and domain relationships (including embedding, reference, and inheritance) in a domain-specific language definition.

• Defining Diagram Elements
  Describes how to add and define diagram elements (such as geometry shapes, image shapes, port shapes, and connectors) in a domain-specific language definition.

• Advanced Tasks (Domain-Specific Language Designer)
  Covers advanced concepts, which include how to understand the .dsl file (which is in XML), modify domain paths, create custom serialization, and map a decorator to a custom property.

• Element Reference for Domain-Specific Languages
  Provides a reference for the various elements that you can use in the Domain-Specific Language Designer, which include domain classes, domain relationships, and shapes.

• Working with the Domain-Specific Language Explorer
  Provides an overview of DSL Explorer.

• Working with the Domain-Specific Language Details Window
  Provides an overview of the DSL Details window.

Related Sections

• Creating Domain-Specific Language Solutions
  Describes the solution templates that you can use to create different types of domain-specific language solutions by using Domain-Specific Language Tools.

• Domain-Specific Language Tools Glossary
  Defines key terms that are used in the Help for Domain-Specific Language Tools.