A transformation language is a
computer language
A computer language is a formal language used to communicate with a computer. Types of computer languages include:
* Software construction#Construction languages, Construction language – all forms of communication by which a human can Comput ...
designed to transform some input text in a certain
formal language
In logic, mathematics, computer science, and linguistics, a formal language is a set of strings whose symbols are taken from a set called "alphabet".
The alphabet of a formal language consists of symbols that concatenate into strings (also c ...
into a modified output text that meets some specific goal.
Program transformation systems such as
Stratego/XT,
TXL,
Tom,
DMS, and
ASF+SDF all have transformation languages as a major component. The transformation languages for these systems are driven by declarative descriptions of the structure of the input text (typically a grammar), allowing them to be applied to wide variety of formal languages and documents.
Macro languages are a kind of transformation languages to transform a meta language into specific higher programming language like
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
,
C++,
Fortran or into lower-level
Assembly language
In computing, assembly language (alternatively assembler language or symbolic machine code), often referred to simply as assembly and commonly abbreviated as ASM or asm, is any low-level programming language with a very strong correspondence bet ...
.
In the
model-driven engineering
Model-driven engineering (MDE) is a software development methodology that focuses on creating and exploiting domain models, which are conceptual model (computer science), conceptual models of all the topics related to a specific problem. Hence, i ...
technical space, there are
model transformation languages (MTLs), that take as input models conforming to a given metamodel and produce as output models conforming to a different metamodel. An example of such a language is the
QVT OMG standard.
There are also low-level languages such as the Lx family implemented by the
bootstrapping method. The L0 language may be considered as assembler for transformation languages. There is also a high-level graphical language built on upon Lx called MOLA.
MOLA pages
Mola.mii.lu.lv. Retrieved on 2013-08-10.
There are a number of XML transformation languages. These include Tritium
Tritium () or hydrogen-3 (symbol T or H) is a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen with a half-life of ~12.33 years. The tritium nucleus (t, sometimes called a ''triton'') contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of the ...
, XSLT
XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) is a language originally designed for transforming XML documents into other XML documents, or other formats such as HTML for web pages, plain text, or XSL Formatting Objects. These formats c ...
, XQuery
XQuery (XML Query) is a query language and functional programming language designed to query and transform collections of structured and unstructured data, primarily in the form of XML. It also supports text data and, through implementation-sp ...
, STX, FXT, XDuce, CDuce, HaXml, XMLambda, and FleXML.
See also
Concepts:
* bidirectional transformation
In computer programming, bidirectional transformations (bx) are programs in which a single piece of code can be run in several ways, such that the same data are sometimes considered as input, and sometimes as output. For example, a bx run in the f ...
* data conversion
Data conversion is the conversion of computer data from one format to another. Throughout a computer environment, data is encoded in a variety of ways. For example, computer hardware is built on the basis of certain standards, which requires ...
* data element
In metadata, the term data element is an atomic unit of data that has precise meaning or precise semantics. A data element has:
# An identification such as a data element name
# A clear data element definition
# One or more representation term ...
* data mapping
In computing and data management, data mapping is the process of creating data element mappings between two distinct data models. Data mapping is used as a first step for a wide variety of data integration tasks, including:
* Data transforma ...
* data migration
Data migration is the process of selecting, preparing, extracting, and transforming data and permanently transferring it from one computer storage system to another. Additionally, the validation of migrated data for completeness and the decommi ...
* data transformation
* metadata
Metadata (or metainformation) is "data that provides information about other data", but not the content of the data itself, such as the text of a message or the image itself. There are many distinct types of metadata, including:
* Descriptive ...
* model transformation
A model transformation, in model-driven engineering, is an automated way of modifying and creating platform-specific model from platform-independent ones. An example use of model transformation is ensuring that a family of models is consistent, in ...
* graph transformation
* refinement (contrast)
Languages and typical transforms:
* ATL
* AWK (tabular data transforms)
* Identity transform
* QVT
* TXL (general)
* XQuery
XQuery (XML Query) is a query language and functional programming language designed to query and transform collections of structured and unstructured data, primarily in the form of XML. It also supports text data and, through implementation-sp ...
(XML)
* XSLT
XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) is a language originally designed for transforming XML documents into other XML documents, or other formats such as HTML for web pages, plain text, or XSL Formatting Objects. These formats c ...
(XML)
References
Programming language classification
Metaprogramming
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