Elan8 DSL Specification

What is the Elan8 DSL?

The Elan8 DSL is a declarative Architecture-as-Code language that lets you define system architectures in a text-based, versionable format. It provides syntactic sugar over SysML v2 concepts, optimized for authoring UX first, with analysis capabilities built in.

The language is designed to be:

• Human-readable: Write architecture like code, not like formal specifications
• Git-friendly: Optimized for version control, diffs, and code reviews
• Validatable: Architecture can be checked automatically, just like code
• Multidisciplinary: Model software, electronics, and mechanical systems together

What the Elan8 DSL Does Not Try to Do

The Elan8 DSL is intentionally focused. It does not attempt to:

• Replace system design or engineering judgment
• Provide complete modeling of all system aspects
• Generate code automatically (though this may come later)
• Replace existing tools like PLM, CAD, or simulation software
• Be a general-purpose programming language

Instead, it focuses on making architecture explicit, versionable, and checkable.

Core Concepts

The Elan8 DSL is built around a few key concepts:

A Minimal Example

Here's the power supply example from the screenshot above, showing how you define a component with internal parts and connections:

// Power Supply Unit - Converts 230V AC to DC rails
@doc "Power supply unit converting 230V AC to multiple DC voltage rails"
part PowerSupply {
    
    // 230V AC input port
    port ac_input: Power230V
    
    // DC output ports
    port power_3v3_out: Power3V3
    port power_5v_out: Power5V
    port power_12v_out: Power12V
    
    // Internal power conversion stages
    @doc "AC to DC conversion stage"
    part ACDCConverter {
        port ac_input: Power230V
        port dc_output: Power12V
    }
    
    @doc "3.3V voltage regulator"
    part VoltageRegulator3V3 {
        port input: Power12V
        port output: Power3V3
    }
    
    @doc "5V voltage regulator"
    part VoltageRegulator5V {
        port input: Power12V
        port output: Power5V
    }
    
    // Internal connections
    connect ac_input to ACDCConverter.ac_input
    connect ACDCConverter.dc_output to power_12v_out
    connect ACDCConverter.dc_output to VoltageRegulator3V3.input
    connect ACDCConverter.dc_output to VoltageRegulator5V.input
    connect VoltageRegulator3V3.output to power_3v3_out
    connect VoltageRegulator5V.output to power_5v_out
}

This example shows:

• Component structure with multiple ports (ac_input, power_3v3_out, power_5v_out, power_12v_out)
• Internal decomposition (PowerSupply contains ACDCConverter, VoltageRegulator3V3, and VoltageRegulator5V)
• Explicit connections between ports, including branching (one output connected to multiple inputs)
• Documentation annotations using @doc

This matches exactly what you see in the screenshot above — the code on the left renders as the block diagram on the right.

Visual Representation

The Elan8 IDE renders your DSL code as a visual block diagram. Here's how the power supply example looks when visualized:

The diagram shows components as blocks, ports as connection points, and interfaces as colored lines. This visual representation helps you understand the architecture at a glance, while the DSL code remains the source of truth.

Design Principles

The Elan8 DSL is designed with specific principles in mind: