Tools for Building Application Generators

Abstract

One approach to improving software productivity is to reuse as much existing software as possible. However, straightforward reuse of software is often inappropriate and sometimes inefficient. Application generators (i. e., program generators suitable for a particular application domain) can be used to produce customized code from existing software automatically without any loss in the efficiency of generated code. This paper describes three tools for building application generators: Stage, PG2, and WOODS. In creating application generators, these tools generate underlying translation routines automatically, allowing a programmer to concentrate on the target application domain and not on translation and compiling. © 1988 AT&T Technical Journal