specification-language.md

status
research (please don't share)

Specification language

Motivation

• Joe on languages vs specification languages

  • https://youtu.be/ed7A7r6DBsM?t=632

• API vs protocol

  • Martin Thompson: https://youtu.be/bzDAYlpSbrM?t=837

• Scaffolding

  • testing
  • docs
    • glossary: https://youtu.be/fTtnx1AAJ-c?t=518
  • code generation
  • program inference?

Joe's Universal Binary Format (UBF)

• https://erlang.org/workshop/2002/Armstrong.pdf

Cleanroom software engineering

• blackbox vs statebox vs clearbox specification
  • https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_harlan/16/
  • https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_harlan/12/
• trace specifications
• usage model/ operational profile
  • users/actors are part of the specification

Dave Snowden

• connections are more important than components in complex systems
• "people are objects too"
• break down a concept until there's no disagreement about its meaning

Some of my own ideas

• Mostly stealing from all above and gluing things together
• Informal escape hatches, but still structured and checked
  • useful for documentation and program inference?

Contributing

• Thoughts?

See also

• https://github.com/stevana/bits-and-bobs
• https://github.com/stevana/spec-lang