Scope

Generative and component approaches and domain-specific abstractions are revolutionizing software development just as automation and componentization revolutionized manufacturing. Raising the level of abstraction in software specification has been a fundamental goal of the computing community for several decades. Key technologies for automating program development and lifting the abstraction level closer to the problem domain are Generative Programming for program synthesis, Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) for compact problem-oriented programming notations, and corresponding Implementation Technologies aiming at modularity, correctness, reuse, and evolution. As the field matures Applications and Empirical Results are of increasing importance.

The International Conference on Generative Programming: Concepts & Experiences (GPCE) is a venue for researchers and practitioners interested in techniques that use program generation, domain-specific languages, and component deployment to increase programmer productivity, improve software quality, and shorten the time-to-market of software products. In addition to exploring cutting-edge techniques of generative software, our goal is to foster further cross-fertilization between the software engineering and the programming languages research communities.

Topics

GPCE seeks contributions on all topics related to generative software and its properties. As technology is maturing, this year, we are particularly looking for empirical evaluations in this context. Key topics include (but are certainly not limited too):

• Generative software
  • Domain-specific languages
    (language extension, language embedding, language design, language theory, language workbenches, interpreters, compilers)
  • Product lines
    (domain engineering, feature-oriented and aspect-oriented programming, preprocessors, feature interactions)
  • Metaprogramming
    (reflection, staging, partial evaluation)
  • Program synthesis
  • Implementation techniques and tool support
    (components, plug-ins, libraries, metaprogramming, macros, templates, generic programming, run-time code generation, model-driven development, composition tools)
• Properties of generative software
  • Correctness of generators and generated code
    (analysis, testing, formal methods, domain-specific error messages, safety, security)
  • Reuse and evolution
  • Modularity, separation of concerns, understandability, and maintainability
  • Performance engineering, nonfunctional properties
    (program optimization and parallelization, GPGPUs, multicore, footprint, metrics)
  • Application areas and engineering practice
    (distributed systems, middleware, embedded systems, patterns, development methods)
• Empirical evaluations of all topics above
  (user studies, substantial case studies, controlled experiments, surveys, rigorous measurements)

We particularly welcome papers that address some of the key challenges in field, for example

• Synthesizing code from declarative specifications
• Supporting extensible languages and language embedding
• Ensuring correctness and other nonfunctional properties of generated code; proving generators correct
• Improving error reporting with domain-specific error messages
• Reasoning about generators; handling variability-induced complexity in product lines
• Providing efficient interpreters and execution languages
• Human factors in developing and maintaining generators

Note on empirical evaluations: This year, GPCE seriously commits on encouraging submissions about empirical evaluations of generative software. Empirical papers often have a difficult stand at programming language venues. We understand the frustration with reviews for empirical papers that, for example, simply recommend repeating entire experiments with human subjects due to slight deviations in the execution. To alleviate these problems, we have asked several experts routinely working with empirical methods to join the program committee and we will actively seek external reviews where appropriate. During submissions, authors can optionally indicate whether their paper contains substantial empirical work, and we will invest all effort necessary to ensure that such papers will be reviewed by experts familiar with the used empirical research method. The program-committee discussions will reflect on both technical contribution and research method. For more context see also: http://www.springerlink.com/content/rr70j282h2k01960/

Policy: Incremental improvements over previously published work should have been evaluated through systematic, comparative, empirical, or experimental evaluation. Submissions must adhere to SIGPLAN's republication policy (http://www.sigplan.org/republicationpolicy.htm). Please contact the program chair if you have any questions about how this policy applies to your paper (chairs@gpce.org).

Submissions

Research papers

10 pages in SIGPLAN proceedings style (sigplanconf.cls, default font size, see http://www.sigplan.org/authorInformation.htm) reporting original and unpublished results of theoretical, empirical, conceptual, or experimental research that contribute to scientific knowledge in the areas listed below (the PC chair can advise on appropriateness).

Authors may choose to submit a paper as short paper which must not exceed 4 pages. The goal of short papers is to promote current work on research and practice. Short papers represent an early communication of research and do not always require complete results as in the case of a full paper. In this way authors can introduce new ideas to the community, discuss ideas and get early feedback. Please note that short papers are not intended to be position statements. Short papers are included in the proceedings and will be presented with a shorter time slot at the conference.

Papers will be administratively rejected and will not be reviewed if they exceed the page limit or use condensed formatting.

Tool demonstrations

Tool demonstrations should present tools that implement generative techniques, and are available for use. Any of the GPCE'12 topics of interest are appropriate areas for tool demonstrations. Purely commercial tool demonstrations will not be accepted. Submissions have to contain a tool description of 4 pages in SIGPLAN proceedings style (see above) and a demonstration outline including screenshots of up to 4 pages. Tool demonstrations must have the words "Tool Demo" or "Tool Demonstration" in the title, possibly appended in parenthesis. The four page tool description will, if the demonstration is accepted, be published in the proceedings. The four page demonstration outline will only be used by the program committee for evaluating the submission.

Tech talks

GPCE'13 will pick up the concept of tech talks from previous instances. More information will be added soon.

Workshops

Workshops will be organized by SPLASH. Please inform us (chairs@gpce.org) and contact the SPLASH organizers, if you would like to organize a workshop of interest to the GPCE audience.

Organization and Committees

see ConferenceOrganization