Elaborate on DSLs, IDLs, code analysis, etc.

6 files changed, 72 insertions, 8 deletions

diff --git a/dsl.mdwn b/dsl.mdwn
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..28f70d7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dsl.mdwn
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+[[!meta copyright="Copyright © 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc."]]
+
+[[!meta license="""[[!toggle id="license" text="GFDL 1.2+"]][[!toggleable
+id="license" text="Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
+document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or
+any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant
+Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.  A copy of the license
+is included in the section entitled [[GNU Free Documentation
+License|/fdl]]."]]"""]]
+
+[[!meta title="DSL"]]
+
+A *DSL* is a *domain-specific language* ([[!wikipedia Domain-specific_language
+desc="Wikipedia article"]]).
+
+Compared to general-purpose programming languages, these are a candidate for
+[[open_issues/formal_verification]].
+
+DSLs are frequently used as [[IDL]]s for implementing [[RPC]] systems, but can
+also used for other portions of the [[kernel]], such as [[capability]] systems.
+This is exemplified for [[microkernel/Barrelfish]] in
+{{$microkernel/barrelfish#fof_plos09}}, for example.
diff --git a/idl.mdwn b/idl.mdwn
index adfd9b93..5486931d 100644
--- a/idl.mdwn
+++ b/idl.mdwn
@@ -9,11 +9,16 @@ Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.  A copy of the license
 is included in the section entitled [[GNU Free Documentation
 License|/fdl]]."]]"""]]
 
-An *IDL* is an *interface definition language*.  The most well-known is CORBA.
+[[!meta title="IDL"]]
+
+An *IDL* is an *interface definition language* ([[!wikipedia
+Interface_description_language desc="Wikipedia article"]]).  A well-known one
+is CORBA.  These are [[DSL]]s.
 
 An IDL compiler takes a specification and generates stub code that hides the
 transport details, and by this implements a [[RPC]] system.
 
 In the case of [[Mach's MIG|microkernel/mach/mig]], this hides the marshalling
-and unmarshalling of parameters according to [[microkernel/Mach]]'s semantics,
-and invoking the respective [[microkernel/mach/port]] operations.
+and unmarshalling of procedures' parameters to and from
+[[microkernel/mach/message]] format, according to [[microkernel/Mach]]'s
+semantics, and invoking the respective [[microkernel/mach/port]] operations.
diff --git a/open_issues/code_analysis.mdwn b/open_issues/code_analysis.mdwn
index 114dfbbf..ad59f962 100644
--- a/open_issues/code_analysis.mdwn
+++ b/open_issues/code_analysis.mdwn
@@ -8,7 +8,13 @@ Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.  A copy of the license
 is included in the section entitled [[GNU Free Documentation
 License|/fdl]]."]]"""]]
 
-There is static and dynamic code analysis.  This overlaps with [[debugging]].
+In the topic of *code analysis* or *program analysis* ([[!wikipedia
+Program_analysis_(computer_science) desc="Wikipedia article"]]), there is
+static code analysis ([[!wikipedia Static_code_analysis desc="Wikipedia
+article"]]) and dynamic program analysis ([[!wikipedia Dynamic_program_analysis
+desc="Wikipedia article"]]).  This topic overlaps with [[performance
+analysis|performance]], [[formal_verification]], as well as general
+[[debugging]].
 
   * [[GCC]]'s warnings.  Yes, really.
 
diff --git a/open_issues/formal_verification.mdwn b/open_issues/formal_verification.mdwn
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..168d59a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/open_issues/formal_verification.mdwn
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+[[!meta copyright="Copyright © 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc."]]
+
+[[!meta license="""[[!toggle id="license" text="GFDL 1.2+"]][[!toggleable
+id="license" text="Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
+document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or
+any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant
+Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.  A copy of the license
+is included in the section entitled [[GNU Free Documentation
+License|/fdl]]."]]"""]]
+
+*Formal verification* ([[!wikipedia Formal_verification desc="Wikipedia
+article"]]) deals with formally reasoning about a program's correctness.
+
+Especially in the field of [[DSL]]s, this is used for asserting program codes'
+correctness, as explained in {{$microkernel/barrelfish#fof_plos09}}, for
+example.
diff --git a/open_issues/performance.mdwn b/open_issues/performance.mdwn
index 3b4c4537..9b3701b3 100644
--- a/open_issues/performance.mdwn
+++ b/open_issues/performance.mdwn
@@ -8,10 +8,21 @@ Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.  A copy of the license
 is included in the section entitled [[GNU Free Documentation
 License|/fdl]]."]]"""]]
 
-  * general [[RPC]] overhead
+*Performance analysis* ([[!wikipedia Performance_analysis desc="Wikipedia
+article"]]) deals with analyzing how computing resources are used for
+completing a specified task.
 
-  * [[I/O System|io_system]]
+[[Profiling]] is one relevant tool.
 
-  * [[fork]]
+In [[microkernel]]-based systems, there is generally a considerable [[RPC]]
+overhead.
 
-  * [[unit testing]]
+In a multi-server system, it is non-trivial to implement a high-performance
+[[I/O System|io_system]].
+
+When providing [[faq/POSIX_compatibility]] (and similar interfaces) in an
+environemnt that doesn't natively implement these interfaces, there may be a
+severe performance degradation.  For example, in this [[`fork` system
+call|/glibc/fork]]'s case.
+
+[[Unit_testing]] can be used for tracking performance regressions.
diff --git a/open_issues/profiling.mdwn b/open_issues/profiling.mdwn
index 3f9330ba..f56ae974 100644
--- a/open_issues/profiling.mdwn
+++ b/open_issues/profiling.mdwn
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.  A copy of the license
 is included in the section entitled [[GNU Free Documentation
 License|/fdl]]."]]"""]]
 
+*Profiling* ([[!wikipedia Profiling_(computer_programming) desc="Wikipedia
+article"]]) is a tool for tracing where CPU time is spent.  This is usually
+done for [[performance analysis|performance]] reasons.
+
   * [[gprof]]
 
     Should be working, but some issues have been reported, regarding GCC spec