Eclipse Xtext

Eclipse Xtext: Open-Source Framework for Programming Languages

An open-source framework for developing programming languages and DSLs, allowing the creation of full-featured IDEs with syntax highlighting, code completion, refactoring, and more.

What is Eclipse Xtext?

Eclipse Xtext is an open-source framework for developing programming languages and domain-specific languages (DSLs). It is part of the Eclipse modeling project and built on top of Eclipse and Java. Xtext allows developers to define grammars and metamodels for custom languages which can then be used to generate full-featured Eclipse-based IDEs.

Some of the key features of Xtext include:

• Language grammar definition using EBNF syntax
• Automatic generation of parser, linker, compiler from grammar
• Syntax highlighting, code completion, refactoring out of the box
• Integration with Eclipse JDT for Java interoperability
• Tight integration with EMF for creating metamodels
• Generates customizable editors with syntax coloring, code folding, outlining, etc.
• Validation and error checking
• Supports building DSLs textual or graphical editors

With Xtext, the grammar defines the language structure while the metamodel defines domain entity relationships. Xtext handles the translation between textual syntax and domain model. This increases productivity when implementing DSLs. The IDE tools like validation and content assist are derived from language grammar and metamodel.

Xtext has been used to build languages and IDEs in various domains like programming, configuration, automation, business logic, etc. Some examples of DSLs built with Xtext are Xtend, Entities, AutoFOCUS3, OCCI, PLCopen XML.

Eclipse Xtext Features

Official Links