specifieks

Specifieks describe a class of formal, machine-readable specifications that define the behavior and constraints of specialized subsystems within a larger architecture. They target domain-specific requirements and interfaces while remaining decoupled from unrelated components to support reuse and substitution.

Characteristics include modularity, composability, and verifiability. Specifieks are typically expressed in a specification or modeling language and specify preconditions, postconditions, invariants, and interface contracts. They are designed to be parameterizable and refinable, allowing a base specification to be specialized for particular contexts without altering the core architecture.

Relation to related concepts: Specifieks borrow ideas from design by contract, interface management, and model-driven engineering. They may be written in domain-specific specification languages or general modeling formalisms and are often used with simulation, testing, and formal verification tooling.

Applications include product line engineering, safety-critical systems, hardware–software co-design, and configurable services, where they enable automated verification, simulation, and generation of adapters or monitors. They support traceability from requirements to design and facilitate substitution of components with compatible specifications.

History and critique: The term arose in theoretical and practitioner discussions about modular design. Proponents argue specifieks improve reuse and assurance; critics point to tooling requirements and potential specification drift if contracts are not maintained.