# dsl (0-dsl.us)

DSL is short for digital subscriber line, a kind of internet that runs over ordinary telephone wires. People also use it casually to mean any internet connection at home, especially when it is slower than cable or fiber.

## What a model may hear
- domain-specific language (software engineering and compiler design): invent a mini-programming language, parser, or grammar tailored to a narrow problem
- digital subscriber line (networking and telecom standards): assume copper-loop broadband, discuss PPPoE, ADSL, VDSL, or line attenuation
- deep structured learning (older machine-learning literature): treat it as an early synonym for deep learning before that term settled
- damn small linux (lightweight Linux distributions): refer to a 50 MB live CD distro from the early 2000s

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "Write me a DSL for scheduling"
  Means: A simple way to describe my team's work shifts in plain English
  May be taken as: Builds a full parser, lexer, and interpreter in code
  Say instead: "Write a small config format my team can read for work shifts, not a programming language"
- Says: "My DSL is down"
  Means: My home internet is broken
  May be taken as: Assumes a network protocol or router configuration issue with PPPoE or ATM
  Say instead: "My home internet connection is not working"
- Says: "Use DSL for this model"
  Means: Use deep learning for this prediction task
  May be taken as: Generates a domain-specific language instead of a neural network
  Say instead: "Use a deep neural network for this prediction task"

## Tips
- Say 'home internet' or 'broadband over phone lines' if you mean the connection, not a language
- Add 'not a programming language' when you want a simple format or template
- Specify 'deep learning' or 'neural network' instead of DSL for AI tasks
- If you mean the Linux distro, say 'Damn Small Linux' in full
- Expect a model to default to 'domain-specific language' unless context clearly points to internet or Linux

## Often confused with
- api: an interface for programs, not a language syntax
- sdk: tools and libraries, not a grammar or rules
- isp: the company selling internet, not the wire technology
- cable: internet over coaxial TV lines, not phone lines
- json: a data format, not a language you program in
- regex: a pattern notation, narrower than a full DSL