Towards text-based domain-specific modeling language for representational state transfer compliant services

Abstract

This paper discusses the development of text-based domain-specific modeling language. The covered domain is representational state transfer (REST) architectural style. With domain-specific modeling language, we can develop software in a higher level of abstraction than general-purpose programming language. Domain analysis is performed to classify different kinds of resources into several resource types, namely resource, individual resource, projection resource, container resource, list resource, collection resource, transitional resource, and subresource. The design of modeling language is represented in metamodel and the implementation of modeling language is represented in EBNF-like grammar using Xtext domain-specific language (DSL) framework. In conclusion, we have successfully developed a domain-specific modeling language and its validators. The problem faced lies in the code generator in the behavioral modeling aspect, especially the business logic. It is very difficult to generalize the various business logic at a high level of abstraction. So that in the future, the modeling language needs to be limited to a narrower domain so that it can be fully executable.