Initelm

Initelm is a lightweight framework and specification for declaratively initializing complex software systems. It provides a small domain-specific language and a runtime that orchestrates the startup and configuration of modular components, services, and resources.

Conceptually, initelm models the initialization process as a directed acyclic graph of elements. Each element represents a unit of work or a resource, with metadata such as type, dependencies, and configuration. The runtime resolves dependencies, executes initialization in topological order, and supports lifecycle hooks (preinit, init, postinit) and error handling strategies.

The central artifact in an initelm setup is an initialization script (often named initelm.yaml or initelm.json) that declares elements and their relationships. The script enables declarative bootstrapping, making startup behavior explicit and repeatable across environments. The runtime can be embedded into applications or run as a standalone tool and offers pluggable backends for different languages.

Applications include web front-ends, server processes, and embedded systems where deterministic startup is important. It interoperates with existing configuration systems and service registries and aims to be lightweight and dependency-agnostic.

Limitations include a learning curve for the DSL, potential overhead for simple projects, and the need for careful dependency design to avoid cycles. Development activity and ecosystem size vary by language.