On: Architecture diagrams should be code

[samsquire]

I am designing two things.

It should be possible to change architecture from changing a text file. Which is also a diagram.

I am designing a state machine formulation for complicated systems and a multiplexing format for messaging. In theory the state machine formulation can be rendered to a diagram.

This state machine is similar to Prolog and BNF parser format. It defines a progression of states for async/await. I think the format would be useful for microservices and multithreaded software.

  next_free_thread = 2
  task(A) thread(1) assignment(A, 1) = running_on(A, 1) | paused(A, 1)
    
  running_on(A, 1)
  thread(1)
  assignment(A, 1)
  thread_free(next_free_thread) = 
  
  fork(A, B)
                                    
  | send_task_to_thread(B, next_free_thread)
                                    
  |   running_on(B, 2)
                                        
  paused(B, 1)
                                        
  running_on(A, 1)
                                   
  | { yield(B, returnvalue) | paused(B, 2) }
                                     
  { await(A, B, returnvalue) | paused(A, 1) }
                                   
  | send_returnvalue(B, A, returnvalue)