GSL – a Universal Code Generator (opens in new tab)

That readme is a massive intro that doesn't explain very much at all.

tldr; Define a model in xml, and a provide it a template script and it'll output some text.

Sound like XSLT? yep. With a custom DSL taped on the side for scripting.

Also...

    Template-driven code generators that use symbolic insertion to inject 
    meta- data into a template. This technology makes it much easier to 
    write new ad-hoc templates. Typical examples are any technology that 
    produces dynamic web page.

    Scripted code generators that use a high-level language to manipulate 
    meta- data and then inject it into templates. This technology makes it 
    much easier to write new ad-hoc code generators. Typical examples are 
    XSLT, GSL and some other scripted code generation languages.

These are just arbitrary terms you're inventing.

Lots of template engines support the ability to manipulate the data before injecting it into a template.

Having a special limited little DSL for scripting that is an antipattern, not a good thing.

Lots of people use translation tools (coffee script, typescript, babel, sass, etc) that map from one language to another 'similar' language, even code, and it works well.

I think we can comfortably say that these days, people are pretty happy with the idea of code generation; ...but I think few people will find anything in GSL that is not covered elsewhere, better.

Can you imagine modeling your typescript in XML so you can generate some javascript from it? ugh.

Perhaps there's some use for this sort of stuff in protocol serialization, but you have to do so much of the heavy lifting yourself for it, I'm not sure why you'd bother over an existing solution like protocol buffers.

There is more to GSL than XML processing. GSL was used to write ZeroMQ along with many other pieces of software. GSL can also be used to write FSM (finite state machines) and an earlier variant called Libero, was used to write the very well regarded, Xitami multithreaded web server.

I just installed it yesterday so haven't been able to fully suss out how I will use it.

Hintjens also wrote the CLASS style guide/ subset of C usage which is used for ZeroMQ etc. I don't program in C, thus, can't offer an informed opinion about it - but perhaps another HN'er can chime in on the quality of it.

A great write-up on his theory of model-driven development and the tech that underpinned most of iMatix:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&c...

Their website is a slide-show demonstrating their amazing work:

http://www.imatix.com/

Generating servers from state machines and such:

http://hintjens.com/blog:75

SMT kernel for portable, multi-threaded, fast code:

http://legacy.imatix.com/html/smt/

Web server (old and new) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xitami http://xitami.wikidot.com/main:start

One of best middleware ever http://zeromq.org/

Is there a fundamental difference to template systems such as erb? Because I'm having a hard time seeing it (except the academic prose and the subtle horror xml always causes me).

I was reading about Pieter after his article the other day and thought this was an interesting tool.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11547212

Back in 1982 Synon Inc. introduced its Synon/2 CASE tool based on similar ideas. The product targeted minicomputers using green screens. The same model could produce target code in COBOL, RPGIII or PL/I. We then toyed with the idea of meta-models which could model vertical applications such as accounting systems or inventory control. We believed that the next generation of modeling would use logic programming with constraint solving to make smart models (At the time the Japanese 5th generation project was underway). Alas, the project proved too difficult and it was abandoned. Perhaps it is time to revisit the idea.

Aw! I was hoping for an endless stream of Global Starcraft League :(

Given how much focus he places on code generation and metaprogramming it's ASTounding that there is not a single reference to Lisp to be found in that wall of text. I agree with a lot of what he says, but his total ignorance (must be ignorance rather than deliberate) of Lisp metaprogramming weakens a lot of his arguments for GSL specifically.

I submitted GSL in the list of static website generators a while ago. That was one of the few static generator written in C, which is nice for small embedded systems.

We have something like this written in Java except we are getting away from templates and moving more towards AST transformations.

It is my first time hearing the term MOP. I got a feel that Hintjens is the guy who brings future come