Domain-Specific Language

The term for a programming language designed for a special purpose, usually within some commercial field of application, although such a language can be made for practically any domain.

There is a separate strand of research just to improve the ability to develop efficient and usable domain-specific languages.

Some research:

Designing and Using Combinators: The Essence of Functional Programming, a graduate course by John Hughes on combinator libraries aka Domain Specific Embedded Languages.
Domain-Specific Languages at IRISA/INRIA - LABRI, COMPOSE Project [MIA?].
Functional Domain-Specific Languages .
Series of seminars Domain Specific Languages at Halmstad University.
USENIX - Conference on Domain-Specific Languages.
LtU has a section on DSL's.
A wiki on DSLs at CWI.
The Promise of DSLs, a webbed presentation.

This page is linked from: DSL Language Mozart Pattern Languages Programming Languages Syntax in Lisp Syntax in Maude