Semantics-Based Rapid Prototyping of a Machine Controller Language

We present the use of the semantics-based language generator SLANG to implement a machine controller language EFSM which is based on the principle of extended finite state machines. SLANG allows to rapidly prototype EFSM by a formal definition of the language’s abstract syntax, concrete syntax, type system, and denotational semantics; from this, SLANG generates a parser, a printer, a type checker, and an interpreter for EFSM. Subsequently we implement in EFSM a controller for an (idealized) robot vacuum cleaner and validate its operation by simulation and visualization. Our presentation may thus also serve as a template for the semantics-based rapid prototyping of other domain-specific languages.