Using Reference Domain Ontologies to Define the Real-World Semantics of Domain-Specific Languages

This paper proposes a principled approach to the definition of real-world semantics for declarative domain-specific languages. The approach is based on: (i) the explicit representation of the admissible states of the world through a reference domain ontology (which serves as semantic foundation for the domain-specific language), (ii) a representation of the valid expressions of a domain-specific language (to determine the abstract syntax of the language), and (iii) the rigorous definition of the relation between the abstract syntax and the reference domain ontology (to define the real-world semantics of the language). These three elements of the approach are axiomatized in three corresponding logic theories, enabling a systematic treatment of real-world semantics, including formal tooling to support language design and assessment.