Macroprogramming using an embedded DSL approach

Abstract

Software applications were traditionally developed using a monolithic approach and developed as a single instance. As distributed systems emerged, these traditional methods were no longer suitable. In the domain of wireless sensor networks, an application is developed to run across multiple nodes, and devices must communicate and collaborate together. The general trend is for a software developer to write a single program which is loaded on all the devices. In the case of heterogeneous networks where the systems making up the network vary in architecture, capabilities and characteristics a different approach is used — different programs are written and loaded on each different system. Such an approach requires expertise programming different systems, and the interactions between disparate systems need to be explicitly handled by the programmer. In this thesis, we propose a model for programming heterogeneous systems using a single macroprogram, thereby achieving a higher level of abstraction and enabling applications to be described at the macro-level. We combine techniques from macroprogramming and multi-target compilation, using an embedded DSL approach to generate target-specific code for different domains on different ends of the spectrum. On one end of the spectrum, we apply the model to wireless sensor networks where challenges exist around optimising code for execution on heavily resource constrained devices. At the other end of the spectrum, we propose a framework for writing smart contracts spanning multiple diverse blockchain systems. Each domain brings its’ own challenges, however the model is shown to be applicable to different domains.