I built DoScript, a domain-specific language for file automation. The goal: make scripts readable by anyone.
Design Goal
Instead of:
bashfind . -type f -mtime +30 -exec rm {} \;
Write:
for_each file_in here
if_older_than {file_name} 30 days
delete file {file_path}
end_if
end_for
Trade power for clarity. Optimize for maintenance over terseness.
Key Design Decisions
1. Natural Language Keywords
make folder not mkdir, copy file not cp. Self-documenting.
2. Implicit Metadata
When iterating files, auto-inject: {file_name}, {file_path}, {file_size}, {file_modified}, {file_is_old_days}
for_each file_in "Documents"
say "{file_name} is {file_size} bytes"
end_for
3. Built-in Time Handling
if_older_than {file_name} 30 days
make folder "backup_{today}"
No date arithmetic needed.
4. Expression Evaluation
Function-based for simplicity:
if greater_than {file_size} 1000000
if and(equals({type}, "pdf"), greater_than({size}, 10000))
Intentionally awkward for complex logic - signals you should use Python.
Implementation
Python interpreter (~2000 LOC)
Recursive descent parser
Context-aware error reporting
Custom exception types with file/line info
Visual Component
Built a browser-based node editor (single HTML file, 1200 LOC). Drag boxes, wire them, generate DoScript code.
Why? Different learning styles, workflow visualization, non-programmer accessibility.
What Worked
Natural syntax is immediately understandable
Metadata injection removes boilerplate
Time handling makes common cases trivial
Visual IDE differentiates from text-only
What Didn't
Complex conditionals get awkward fast
No user-defined functions (only macros)
Limited data structures
Performance not optimized
The Challenge
Built for non-programmers. But they don't hang out on dev forums. Developers say "just use Python" - which misses the point.
How do you market dev tools to non-developers?
Technical Transparency
I designed syntax and architecture. Most Python implementation was AI-assisted (Claude, Copilot). Focus on design, use tools for implementation.
Open Questions
When does a DSL become too limited?
How to market to non-developers?
Type system worth the complexity?
Should DSLs provide escape hatches to host language?
GitHub: https://github.com/TheServer-lab/DoScript
v0.6.5, includes interpreter, visual IDE, VS Code extension, examples.
Built because bash was too cryptic for my friend to organize files. Turns out lots of people have this problem.
Would love feedback from people who've built DSLs or struggled with similar trade-offs.
