Language-driven system design

Studies have shown significant benefits of the use of domain-specific languages. However, designing a DSL still seems to be an art, rather than a craft, following a clear methodology. In this paper we discuss a first step towards a methodology for designing such languages. The presented approach, which is referred to as the language-driven approach, is rooted informal techniques and independent of accepted software engineering process models. We illustrate the approach with a small and instructive case study.