A language family for programming and meta-programmming

Abstract

This chapter contains a brief introduction to the PROSPECTRA language family. It gives a rationale for the relationship between the languages and relates this Part II to those on the Methodology and the System. The role of PAⁿⁿdA-S as the central language of the family is explained and desired properties for it are defined in relation to the methodology. PAⁿⁿdA is introduced as the “wide-spectrum language” extension to PAⁿⁿdA-S in the direction of Ada (and similar imperative languages). The use of PAⁿⁿdA-S for meta-programming (of transformation programs), i.e. its extension to TrafoLa-S, and its use for the formalisation of the development process and as a command language ControLa are described.