DSL tools VS. Model Driven Software Factory

Un buen artículo que diferencia estos dos conceptos. DSL tools y MDS Factory

http://www.theenterprisearchitect.eu/archive/2009/02/18/model-driven-engineering-tools-compared-on-user-activities

DSL tool:

* Workbenches: DSL workbench and transformation workbench.
* Input: DSL definitions and transformation rules.
* Output: solution workbench and generator.
* Tool vendor activities: meta language definition, transformation language definition, workbench implementations.
* Tool user activities: DSL definitions, transformation rules, architecture definition, (domain) framework implementation.
* Examples: openArchitectureWare, MetaEdit+, Microsoft DSL Tools, JetBrains Meta Programming System.

Model Driven Software Factory:

* Workbenches: solution workbench.
* Input: functional specification.
* Output: working application.
* Tool vendor activities: DSL definitions, transformation rules, architecture definition, domain framework implementation, solution workbench implementation.
* Tool user activities: application modeling.
* Examples: Mendix (domain: Service Oriented Business Applications).




"--. Building your own DSLs, i.e. using DSL tools, gives you all the flexibility you'll ever need. However, it also comes with a cost: DSL design isn't that easy. Designing a full set of DSLs for modeling all application aspects will cost a lot of effort (the DSLs will evolve along with the applications you build with them). And don't forget the training, language support, standardization, and maintenance of your languages.

A Model Driven Software Factory, on the other hand, is only useful if it precisely targets the domain you're searching a solution for. You also need to commit you to the vendor of the factory. However, the domain of a Model Driven Software Factory can be quite broad and with current business process engines, workflow engines, and business rules engines, the used languages can be both applicable to multiple problem domains and easy to understand for business engineers. With a Model Driven Software Factory you can directly start using the DSLs for modeling your application and you don't need to have the expertise in-house to define the languages, transformations, and generators yourself"