Preparing diagrams and other non-text, and non-code specifications and gradually shifting to code is understood to be the way to go and proper engineering. Code generators are meant to automate this process.
Non-code notations, however, have no prospects to develop into definitive, catch-all specifications, which then could be converted into a secodary derivative, the code.
Programming languages have much better prospects to have specifications embedded. Eiffel with its Design by Contract and other features has already gone a long way in this direction.
So the code is the definitive source, allowing automated extraction of specifications and various descriptive materials.
Software engineering is (going to be) reverse.
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Preparing diagrams and other non-text, and non-code specifications and gradually shifting to code is understood to be the way to go and proper engineering. Code generators are meant to automate this process. Non-code notations, however, have no prospects to develop into definitive, catch-all specifications, which then could be converted into a secodary derivative, the code. Programming languages have much better prospects to have specifications embedded. Eiffel with its Design by Contract and other features has already gone a long way in this direction. So the code is the definitive source, allowing automated extraction of specifications and various descriptive materials. Software engineering is (going to be) reverse.