How to make a Domain-Specific Language for non-devs (so they don't need AI) (WHY2025)

A Domain-Specific Language is a computer language that’s made and suitable for a specific domain — *dûh*. But what happens when that domains is inhabited and operated by people that are – **gasp**! – not developers?! This is when a DSL has the opportunity to shine, and even outshine generic AI. The field of Domain-Specific Languages has been going through a quasi-perpetual, reincarnating Gartner hype cycle for decades. Nevertheless, there are many DSLs out there, with many aimed squarely at software devs, and some at non-devs. In this talk, I’ll explain what a DSL is and is made up of, and why you‘d want to make one – especially for non-devs! –, why and how to do that using something called “projectional editing”, why and how DSLs are better than AI, and why DSLs should be a standard tool in our dev-toolbox. Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ about this event: https://program.why2025.org/why2025/talk/LXNXVK/