SpecL

SpecL is a term used in software engineering to denote a family of specification languages and related tooling designed to express and manage system requirements and assumptions.

A typical SpecL system provides a domain-specific language for writing declarative specifications, along with tools to validate consistency, generate artifacts (such as test cases, documentation, or model artifacts), and integrate with build and verification pipelines.

Key design features commonly associated with SpecL include a formal or semi-formal type system, support for constraints or predicates, modularization through namespaces or modules, and the ability to link specifications to implementations.

Use cases include requirements engineering, formal verification, model-based testing, and automated documentation. In practice, several independent implementations exist, each with its own syntax and toolchain, but they share the goal of making specifications executable or verifiable.

Criticism and challenges include learning curve, maintaining synchronization between specifications and implementations, and scalability for large systems.