Speccing Is the New Coding

May 25, 2026 · 10:48 AM UTC ·4 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 20 views

#softwaredevelopment #ai #coding #technology #innovation

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

The article discusses the evolving role of source code in software development, suggesting that 'speccing' may replace traditional coding. As machines become more capable of understanding processes, the need for extensive source code may diminish. The author introduces SpecPack, a set of standards aimed at facilitating this transition towards a more direct specification of applications.

Key facts

▪The traditional role of source code is being questioned as machines become more adept at understanding processes.
▪The author has published SpecPack, which includes three reference standards to support this shift.
▪MiniMark simplifies Markdown for machine understanding by removing optionality.
▪riVer introduces a versioning scheme for textual content that aligns with a future where traditional version control may not be necessary.
▪Specify aims to establish coding standards in plain English for better communication with intelligent agents.

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Record

Original publisher	DEV.to (Top)
Canonical URL	https://dev.to/newadventuresinit/speccing-is-the-new-coding-493g
Publication time	Mon, 25 May 2026 10:48:20 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-05-25T11:07:36.652Z
Last seen	2026-05-25T11:07:36.652Z
Headline source	Publisher (no WeSearch rewrite)
Excerpt source	publisher body
Excerpt method	First ~120 words (~800 chars) of extracted publisher body, fair-use limited.
Summary	WeSearch · cerebras-chat (WeSearch summarizer)
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Publisher visit	Yes — open original
Substitutes article?	No — link-out required for full text

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Indexing	May the item be indexed (stored, ranked, made findable)?	Allowed
Snippet	May a short excerpt of the publisher's text be shown?	Allowed
AI summary	May WeSearch generate its own short summary of the article?	Limited
Retrieval / RAG	May the content be exposed for third-party retrieval-augmented generation?	Not asserted
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Commercial reuse	May the content be reused commercially?	Not permitted

Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.

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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

try { if(localStorage) { let currentUser = localStorage.getItem('current_user'); if (currentUser) { currentUser = JSON.parse(currentUser); if (currentUser.id === 3937640) { document.getElementById('article-show-container').classList.add('current-user-is-article-author'); } } } } catch (e) { console.error(e); } Dirk Mattig Posted on May 25 Speccing Is the New Coding #agents #ai #softwaredevelopment What do we still need source code for? It is an odd question to ask after spending forty years writing it, but it is the one that keeps pulling at my sleeve. Let me work backwards to explain why. The first computers were one-trick ponies. Their behavior was baked into their wiring — change the task, change the machine. Useful, expensive, inflexible.

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