Skip to content
AAOE
1 min read

Specification

Definition

A Specification is a document that formalizes approved engineering knowledge into canonical, authoritative guidance. It defines objectives, constraints, assumptions, expected behavior, and acceptance criteria clearly enough that multiple engineers — or multiple AI agents — can produce compatible implementations from it.

Why It Matters

Specifications exist so that engineering intent is captured and reviewed before implementation begins, rather than discovered through implementation itself. They are the primary engineering asset AAOE is built around: specifications outlive prompts, remain traceable to the decisions behind them, and let implementation become a consequence of clear thinking rather than its starting point.

  • Specification Lifecycle
  • Shared Specification
  • Specification-Driven Development
  • Work Order
  • Architecture Decision Record

References

  • STD-0001 — Specification Lifecycle
  • STD-0002 — Specification-Driven Development
  • STD-0004 — Shared Specifications
  • OM-0002 — Work Orders
  • OM-0006 — AAOE Meta-Model
  • GUIDE-0001 — Thinking in Specifications