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Design Documents

This section contains design documents, specifications, and architectural decisions for the Ora language and compiler.

Overview​

Design documents capture the rationale, trade-offs, and implementation details for major features and architectural decisions in the Ora project. These documents serve as:

  • Historical record: Why decisions were made and what alternatives were considered
  • Reference material: Detailed technical specifications for implementation
  • Collaboration tools: Shared understanding for contributors and maintainers

Document Categories​

Language Design​

Design decisions about the Ora language syntax, semantics, and features.

Compiler Architecture​

Architectural decisions about the compiler pipeline, intermediate representations, and code generation.

Formal Verification​

Design of the formal verification system, SMT solver integration, and verification condition generation.

Standard Library​

Design of built-in functions, standard library modules, and language primitives.

Contributing Design Documents​

When creating a new design document:

  1. Use clear structure: Include context, motivation, design decisions, and alternatives considered
  2. Link to related docs: Reference relevant specifications, examples, or implementation code
  3. Keep it updated: Update documents as designs evolve or are implemented
  4. Include status: Note whether the design is proposed, in progress, or completed

Document Template​

# [Feature/Component Name]

## Status
[Proposed | In Progress | Completed | Deprecated]

## Overview
Brief description of what this document covers.

## Motivation
Why this feature/change is needed.

## Design Decisions
Key decisions and rationale.

## Alternatives Considered
Other approaches that were evaluated.

## Implementation Details
Technical specifications and implementation notes.

## References
Links to related documents, issues, or code.

Current Design Documents​

Language Design​

  • Type System (v0.1) - Working design document for Ora's type system, including memory regions, affine types, refinement predicates, traits, and comparison with Solidity.

Coming Soon​

  • Compiler architecture decisions
  • Verification system design
  • Standard library specifications
  • Performance optimization strategies

Note: This section is actively being populated. If you're working on a design document, please add it here following the template above.