Editing Domain-specific language (section)

===Programming tools===
Some domain-specific languages expand over time to include full-featured programming tools, which further complicates the question of whether a language is domain-specific or not. A good example is the [[functional language]] [[XSLT]], specifically designed for transforming one XML graph into another, which has been extended since its inception to allow (particularly in its 2.0 version) for various forms of filesystem interaction, string and date manipulation, and data typing.

In [[model-driven engineering]], many examples of domain-specific languages may be found like [[Object Constraint Language|OCL]], a language for decorating models with assertions or [[QVT]], a domain-specific transformation language. However, languages like [[Unified Modeling Language|UML]] are typically general-purpose modeling languages.

To summarize, an analogy might be useful: a Very Little Language is like a knife, which can be used in thousands of different ways, from cutting food to cutting down trees.{{Clarify|reason=It's a bit funny comparison, isn't it?|date=July 2023}} A domain-specific language is like an electric drill: it is a powerful tool with a wide variety of uses, but a specific context, namely, putting holes in things. A General Purpose Language is a complete workbench, with a variety of tools intended for performing a variety of tasks. Domain-specific languages should be used by programmers who, looking at their current workbench, realize they need a better drill and find that a particular domain-specific language provides exactly that.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}