Summer is upon us, and what better for some light summer reading at the beach or mountains than Terence Parr’s latest, Language Design Patterns: Techniques for Implementing Domain-Specific Languages. Learn patterns for implementing your own languages and take advantage of the power of DSLs in your code.

Ok, maybe you’ll want to read Terence’s book near your computer, but this month marks a new book experience from the Pragmatic Life series where you won’t need your computer at all. Quinton Wall’s, The Seed of Hope is fiction, in the fantasy genre. Unlike your latest project plan, this fantasy is exciting and suitable for readers from ages 12 or so and up. We hope you and yours will enjoy it.

This week’s podcast features Quinton Wall discussing his new book.

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Language Design Patterns: Techniques for Implementing Domain-Specific Languages

In Terence Parr’s new book, Language Design Patterns: Techniques for Implementing Domain-Specific Languages, you’ll learn to build configuration file readers, data readers, model-driven code generators, source-to-source translators, source analyzers, and interpreters. You don’t need a background in computer science—Terence (who created ANTLR) demystifies language implementation by breaking it down into the most common design patterns. Pattern by pattern, you’ll learn the key skills you need to implement your own computer languages.

Knowing how to create domain-specific languages (DSLs) can give you a huge productivity boost. Instead of writing code in a general-purpose programming language, you can first build a custom language tailored to make you efficient in a particular domain.

The key is understanding the common patterns found across language implementations. Language Design Patterns identifies and condenses the most common design patterns, providing sample implementations of each.

The pattern implementations use Java, but the patterns themselves are completely general. Some of the implementations use the well-known ANTLR parser generator, so readers will find this book an excellent source of ANTLR examples as well. But this book will benefit anyone interested in implementing languages, regardless of their tool of choice. Other language implementation books focus on compilers, which you rarely need in your daily life. Instead, Language Design Patterns shows you patterns you can use for all kinds of language applications.

You’ll learn to create configuration file readers, data readers, model-driven code generators, source-to-source translators, source analyzers, and interpreters. Each chapter groups related design patterns and, in each pattern, you’ll get hands-on experience by building a complete sample implementation. By the time you finish the book, you’ll know how to solve most common language implementation problems.

Available now in beta from pragprog.com/titles/tpdsl

The Seed of Hope

Charlie and Gideon have grown up under the shadow of the mighty Talent Tree, which towers majestically over the small seaside town of Devon Grove. They’ve waited their entire 13 years for that one special day when those born in Devon Grove would stand under the great tree, catch one of its magical apples, and receive their own amazing talents. That day has finally come.

But then everything goes horribly wrong.

In a twisting tale of friendship, betrayal, magic, and adventure, two friends are thrust into an ancient struggle between good and evil. Charlie’s talent, the birthright of children born in Devon Grove, has been stolen from him. Charlie and his companions embark on an adventure far from home, to worlds beyond their wildest imaginings, in search of his stolen apple.

It soon becomes clear that Charlie’s apple is no ordinary apple, and retrieving it has consequences the friends could never have imagined. The stakes get even higher when one friend, Gideon, armed with a malevolent artifact and guided by a sinister society called the Seekers, becomes tempted by the power the Seekers wield. As the companions brave treacherous seas and explore magical realms, they must come to terms with their talents within if they have any hope of saving the world as they know it.

This special sneak-peek beta ebook is content complete and copyedited, but has not been typeset or illustrated yet. As with all betas, you’ll get those updates between now and publication.

Available exclusively from pragprog.com/titles/qwseed

Thanks for your continued support,

Dave & Andy
www.PragProg.com