Domain

As explained in Building User-Friendly DSLs

A bounded area of knowledge, activity, or business concern that a software system addresses.

A domain is a particular, focused area of knowledge. Domain experts inhabit or own it: they possess, shape, and extend its knowledge while sharing it with business stakeholders and others. section 1.4

A business domain is not fundamentally dependent on computers. Car rental, including computing rental prices, is a business domain; software supports cost effectiveness, efficiency, or regulatory compliance rather than being the core business. section 1.3.4

A domain is a strong candidate for a DSL-based approach when it has:

• Substantial business knowledge with detailed relationships and connections. section 1.3.4
• Multiple specification authors working from clearly identifiable concepts applied consistently. section 1.3.4
• Expressive business logic, such as eligibility rules and discounts based on customer history. section 1.3.4

Car-rental domain

Employees who formulate price quotes, execute business processes, and safeguard regulatory compliance act as domain experts. They use domain-specific terms and notations that can develop into a DSL for specifying the Runtime. section 1.4 section 1.5

Figure 1.16 What is a domain?

Use the diagram to distinguish the focused area of knowledge from its domain experts and surrounding business context. section 1.4

How Building User-Friendly DSLs covers it

How deep it goes

Defines domains, domain experts, and business domains, then identifies criteria for applying a DSL-based approach.

Examples

Uses car rental, price quotes, rental pricing, regulatory compliance, eligibility rules, and customer-history discounts.

What it assumes

Assumes no technical domain background and introduces domain experts, domain speak, ubiquitous language, and pre-DSL concepts.

What you can do after

Evaluate whether a business domain has sufficient structure and complexity to justify a DSL-based approach.

How it connects

Connects domain experts with ubiquitous language, DSLs, Domain IDEs, Runtime systems, and business domains.

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Also explained in

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  Architecture Modernization: Socio-technical alignment of software, strategy, and structureA bounded area of business knowledge, activity, and responsibility that groups related subdomains and supports shared higher-level purposes.
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  Acing the CCNA Exam: Volume 2 Advanced Networking and SecurityA domain is a subtree of the DNS hierarchy under the administrative control of an organization or individual.
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  Google Anthos in ActionA business domain is a bounded area of business knowledge, rules, data, and capabilities addressed by software.
• 

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  Effective Platform EngineeringA domain is a distinct area of business or user capability with its own concepts, responsibilities, and boundaries.

Compare how 5 books explain domain →

Related concepts

• subdomainhas part · A subdomain is a bounded subdivision or subordinate namespace within a broader domain, such as a business area or a domain-name hierarchy.
• DNS hierarchypart of · A DNS hierarchy is the layered organization of DNS servers and domains from the root through top-level domains to specific domains.
• originpart of · A web origin is the security identity defined by a resource's scheme, host, and port.
• implementationcontrasts with · An implementation is the concrete code, mechanisms, or artifacts that realize an abstract design, specification, algorithm, interface, or required behavior.
• IP addresscontrasts with · An IP address is a numerical address used by the Internet Protocol to identify a network interface and support packet delivery across networks.
• performancemeasured by · Performance is the measurable effectiveness or operational behavior of a system under specified conditions, assessed through relevant qualities such as task results, speed, responsiveness, throughput, or resource use.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Building User-Friendly DSLs. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.