Experts in a field regularly apply a defined set of rules or procedures to carry out a problem-solving task or analysis on a given problem. Often the problem can be represented as a computer model, be it mathematical, chemical, or physics based, and so on. It would certainly be advantageous for a domain expert who is not proficient in software development to express solutions to problems in a domain-specific notation that can be executed as a program. Many new ideas aim to make software development easier and shift the development role closer to the end-user. One such means of development is the use of a small, intuitive programming language called a Domain-Specific Language (DSL.) This dissertation examines a generic approach to constructing a Virtual Machine (VM) to provide the runtime semantics for a particular DSL. It proposes a generic, object-oriented framework, called a VM Framework, in which to build a VM by subtyping abstract instruction and environment classes that are part of the VM Framework. The subtyped classes constitute an environment and an interface called an instruction set architecture and the instructions can access and operate on the environment in a deterministic way to provide the runtime semantics of a DSL program. Both instruction classes and environment classes encapsulate functionality of an existing domain, represented programmatically as a namespace construct. The namespace is home to related classes that provide the various concepts inherent of a domain. These are concepts understood by a domain expert and in this dissertation it is shown how they are exposed as DSL constructs. With the use of compiler writing tools, a compiler can be created for a DSL that generates an appropriate instruction sequence that can be executed by the VM. The grammar of the DSL is shown to feature constructs that allow a domain expert to express concepts of the underlying domain in an intuitive manner. The dissertation details how a VM is configured for a specific set of instructions and an environment. Instruction sets and environments can be extended creating VMs with additional semantics for DSLs that are similar, or contain subsets of semantics of other DSLs. The languages are intended to be intuitive and it is shown using examples how a specific DSL program is mapped to an instruction sequence with the instruction set architecture and environment in mind. Comparative performance in relation to other DSL implementations, including a hard-coded approach of a VM and an interpreted approach are also provided. The VM Framework is proven to be most effective in rapidly prototyping a DSL for a particular problem domain. The dissertation also provides examples of DSLs such as a real-valued expression language and a scene description language that uses a ray-tracer for rendering geometric objects onto a canvas. It is shown how the scene description language is an extension to the real-valued expression language in terms of their underlying VMs. All DSL grammars are provided. / Dissertation (MSc (Computer Science))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Computer Science / MSc / unrestricted

Cette recherche explore l’impact de l’apparition des milliardaires et de l’abondance pétrolière sur la trajectoire du développement de la Russie, du Kazakhstan, et de l’Azerbaïdjan. L’accumulation très contentieuse de patrimoines extraordinaires se déroule en parallèle avec la récession économique et la transformation des anciens propriétaires des biens d’état en main-d’œuvre mal payée, avec des milliers de manifestants dans les rues de la Russie en 2017, qui 100 ans après la Révolution de 1917, posent les mêmes questions : ‘qui est propriétaire de quoi ?’ et ‘quel est le niveau d’efficacité ?’. Afin d’apporter des ‘données concrètes’ au débat, l’étude : premièrement, analyse le processus de l’émergence des milliardaires, avec concentration sur la légitimité et l’équité sociale ; et deuxièmement, évalue leur performance comparative. En analysant la période de 9 ans de 2007 à 2015, il considère 300 entités juridiques, composées de 3 groupes d’entreprises : 100 de milliardaires, 100 du gouvernement, et 100 d’entrepreneurs. Afin de recueillir les différences de performance, l’étude utilise 25 mesures financières, dans 2 catégories - 5 paramètres de comptabilité et 20 ratios financiers. Simultanément, le paradoxe de sous-performance économique de ces 3 pays pétroliers du Continent Eurasiatique est examiné. Dans le but de surmonter les difficultés de la route axée sur les ressources naturelles, l’étude suggère : 1. un nouveau cadre analytique : un algorithme diagnostic et un modèle de processus ; 2. le modèle de croissance, incluant le pétrole et les institutions ; 3. le modèle empirique, exposant les liens des éléments d’analyse avec la dynamique macroéconomique. / Present research is an inquiry into implications of emergence of billionaires and petroleum-abundance on development trajectory of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. Highly-controversial accumulation of massive fortunes is going in parallel with economic downturn and transformation of collective owners of state assets into low-paid labor-force, with thousands of street-protesters in Russia in 2017, who 100 years after 1917 Revolution raise the same questions: ‘who owns what?’ and ‘how efficiently?’ In order to contribute ‘hard data’ to debate, current investigation: first, explores a process of formation of billionaires, focusing on legitimacy and social fairness; and second, evaluates their comparative performance. Analyzing 9-year 2007-15 timespan, it considers 300 legal entities, comprised by 3 groups of companies: 100 of billionaires, 100 of government, and 100 of entrepreneurs. To elicit performance differences this study refers to 25 financial metrics, composed by 2 categories – 5 core accounting parameters and 20 financial ratios. Alongside, a paradox of economic underperformance of these 3 petronations of Eurasian Continent is explored. To overcome adversities of resource-based path, the study suggests: 1. novel analytical framework: diagnosis algorithm and process model; 2. growth model’s setup, embracing petronational and institutional dimensions; and 3. empirical model, exposing links of analysis’ elements with macroeconomic dynamics.