Abstract: A human-machine interface (HMI) development system supports a custom textual domain-specific language (DSL) for describing and developing HMI applications. The custom DSL comprises user domain elements corresponding to elements used within the context of a graphical HMI editor, and can be used to describe all aspects of an HMI application in terms of these user domains. Since the DSL is a textual syntax, this approach also allows HMI applications to be developed using any text editor. The DSL can be used to define, using text-based programming, such HMI properties as the graphical elements to be included in the HMI application, element layouts in reference to other graphical elements, element behaviors and actions, commands and custom executable code for specific interactions of the graphics.