This paper proposes a new structural pattern for software development designed to address the challenges posed by the increasing use of Large Language Models (LLMs) in coding. The core idea is to build **"legible" software** – code that has a direct and clear relationship between its structure and its observable behavior.
The theory centers around two key elements:
* **Concepts:** These are independent, user-facing units of functionality with well-defined purposes (like "Post," "Comment," or "Upvote"). They act as self-contained services.
* **Synchronizations:** These are granular, event-based rules that mediate interactions *between* concepts. They orchestrate data and control flow *without* creating direct dependencies between the concepts themselves. A new, simplified synchronization scheme is proposed, focusing on causal relationships triggered by actions and concept states.
**The goal is to achieve:**
* **Incrementality:** The ability to add new features with localized changes.
* **Integrity:** Preventing new code from breaking existing functionality.
* **Transparency:** Clear understanding of what changes have been made and what actions are happening at runtime.
By decoupling functionality into concepts and orchestrating them with granular synchronizations, the authors believe software will be more modular, easier to understand, and better suited for LLM-assisted development. The paper includes a specification format for concepts, a language for synchronizations, and a design for an execution engine, demonstrated through a case study using the RealWorld blogging application benchmark.
In essence, the theory advocates for a shift towards a more declarative and event-driven architecture to improve software maintainability and leverage the potential of LLMs in a more reliable way.
The theory centers around two key elements:
* **Concepts:** These are independent, user-facing units of functionality with well-defined purposes (like "Post," "Comment," or "Upvote"). They act as self-contained services.
* **Synchronizations:** These are granular, event-based rules that mediate interactions *between* concepts. They orchestrate data and control flow *without* creating direct dependencies between the concepts themselves. A new, simplified synchronization scheme is proposed, focusing on causal relationships triggered by actions and concept states.
**The goal is to achieve:**
* **Incrementality:** The ability to add new features with localized changes.
* **Integrity:** Preventing new code from breaking existing functionality.
* **Transparency:** Clear understanding of what changes have been made and what actions are happening at runtime.
By decoupling functionality into concepts and orchestrating them with granular synchronizations, the authors believe software will be more modular, easier to understand, and better suited for LLM-assisted development. The paper includes a specification format for concepts, a language for synchronizations, and a design for an execution engine, demonstrated through a case study using the RealWorld blogging application benchmark.
In essence, the theory advocates for a shift towards a more declarative and event-driven architecture to improve software maintainability and leverage the potential of LLMs in a more reliable way.
Researchers at MIT’s CSAIL are charting a more "modular" path ahead for software development, breaking systems into "concepts" and "synchronizations" to make code clearer, safer, and easier for LLMs to generate.
MIT researchers are proposing a new software development approach centered around "concepts" and "synchronizations" to address issues of complexity, safety, and LLM compatibility in modern software.
Concepts are self-contained units of functionality (like "sharing" or "liking") with their own state and actions, whereas synchronizations are explicit rules defining how these concepts interact, expressed in a simple, LLM-friendly language.
The benefits include ncreased modularity, transparency, easier understanding for both humans and AI, improved safety, and potential for automated software development. Real-world application: has been demonstrated by successfully restructuring features (liking, commenting, sharing) to be more modular and legible.
Future includes concept catalogs, a shift in software architecture, and improved collaboration through shared, well-tested concepts.
MIT researchers are proposing a new software development approach centered around "concepts" and "synchronizations" to address issues of complexity, safety, and LLM compatibility in modern software.
Concepts are self-contained units of functionality (like "sharing" or "liking") with their own state and actions, whereas synchronizations are explicit rules defining how these concepts interact, expressed in a simple, LLM-friendly language.
The benefits include ncreased modularity, transparency, easier understanding for both humans and AI, improved safety, and potential for automated software development. Real-world application: has been demonstrated by successfully restructuring features (liking, commenting, sharing) to be more modular and legible.
Future includes concept catalogs, a shift in software architecture, and improved collaboration through shared, well-tested concepts.
This article discusses Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard designed to connect AI agents with tools and data. It details the key components of MCP, its benefits (improved interoperability, future-proofing, and modularity), and its adoption in open-source agent frameworks like LangChain, CrewAI, and AutoGen. It also includes case studies of MCP implementation at Block and in developer tools.
