Rune-stone

How to Use

When given an existing function (or class method), analyze it and generate a complete RUNE spec that describes its current behavior.

Input: source code of one or more functions (any language). Output: a .rune YAML spec or Markdown section for each function.

---

Process

Step 1: Extract SIGNATURE

Read the function declaration exactly as written. Use the source language’s actual syntax:

Python:

def calculate_discount(price: float, percentage: int) -> float:

SIGNATURE: |
  def calculate_discount(price: float, percentage: int) -> float

Go:

func CalculateDiscount(price float64, percentage int) (float64, error) {

SIGNATURE: |
  func CalculateDiscount(price float64, percentage int) (float64, error)

TypeScript:

function calculateDiscount(price: number, percentage: number): number {

SIGNATURE: |
  function calculateDiscount(price: number, percentage: number): number

If the language doesn’t have type annotations (plain JavaScript, Ruby, Lua), infer types from:

• Parameter names and usage within the function body
• Default values and return statements
• Add a comment noting the inference: # types inferred from usage

Step 2: Write INTENT

Summarize what the function does in 1-3 sentences based on:

• The function name
• The docstring/doc comment (if present)
• The overall behavior

Do NOT describe implementation details. Describe purpose.

# Bad (implementation details):
INTENT: |
  Uses regex pattern to match RFC 5322 emails and returns a tuple.

# Good (purpose):
INTENT: |
  Validates an email address against RFC 5322 standards.
  Returns a validity flag and a message explaining the result.

Step 3: Extract BEHAVIOR Rules

Analyze the function’s control flow and convert each branch to a WHEN/THEN rule. The source language varies, but the BEHAVIOR output is always the same WHEN/THEN format:

From Python:

if not email:
    return (False, "Email cannot be empty")

From Go:

if email == "" {
    return false, fmt.Errorf("email cannot be empty")
}

From Rust:

if email.is_empty() {
    return Err("Email cannot be empty".to_string());
}

All extract to the same BEHAVIOR:

BEHAVIOR:
  - WHEN email is empty THEN return error "Email cannot be empty"

Rules for extraction:

• Each conditional branch that returns or raises/throws becomes a WHEN/THEN
• The final return or else branch becomes OTHERWISE
• Preserve the exact error messages from the code
• Preserve the order of checks (top to bottom)
• Collapse implementation details into business-level descriptions
• Map language-specific error mechanisms to neutral language:
  • Python raise ValueError / Go return err / Rust Err() / Java throw -> “raise error” or “return error”

Step 4: Extract CONSTRAINTS

Look for input validation patterns in any language:

• Type checks (type annotations, instanceof, is, type guards, pattern matching)
• Range checks (comparisons against bounds)
• Format checks (regex, string operations, parsing)
• Size checks (length, count, capacity)

CONSTRAINTS:
  - "price: must be non-negative number"
  - "percentage: integer between 0 and 100 inclusive"

Step 5: Identify EDGE_CASES

Look for:

• Boundary values handled in conditions (>=, <, ==)
• Special cases (empty input, null/nil/None/undefined, zero, max value)
• Comments mentioning edge cases
• Guard clauses at the top of the function

EDGE_CASES:
  - "empty string: returns error"
  - "percentage = 0: returns original price"
  - "percentage = 100: returns 0.0"

Step 6: Generate TESTS

Create test cases that cover:

1. Happy path — normal inputs that succeed (2-3 tests)
2. Boundary — values at the edges of conditions (2-3 tests)
3. Error cases — inputs that trigger each error branch (1 per branch)

TESTS:
  # Happy path
  - "calculate_discount(100.0, 20) == 80.0"
  - "calculate_discount(50.0, 10) == 45.0"

  # Boundary
  - "calculate_discount(100.0, 0) == 100.0"
  - "calculate_discount(100.0, 100) == 0.0"

  # Error cases
  - "calculate_discount(-10.0, 20) raises error"
  - "calculate_discount(100.0, -5) raises error"

Step 7: Add Metadata

DEPENDENCIES:
  - "library_name"  # only external imports/packages used by the function

COMPLEXITY:
  time: O(n)  # analyze loops and recursion
  space: O(1) # analyze allocations

Step 8: Assemble and Validate

Combine all sections into a complete spec. Then self-validate:

• Does every BEHAVIOR rule have at least one test?
• Does every EDGE_CASE have a test?
• Do CONSTRAINTS map to BEHAVIOR rules?
• Is INTENT free of implementation details?

---

Output Format

Ask the user which format they prefer. Default to the format used elsewhere in their project.

Set meta.language to the language detected from the source code.

YAML format:

---
meta:
  name: function_name
  language: <detected from source>
  version: 1.0
  tags: [inferred, tags]
---

RUNE: function_name

SIGNATURE: |
  ...
INTENT: |
  ...
BEHAVIOR:
  - ...
TESTS:
  - ...
# ... remaining fields

Markdown format:

### function_name

**SIGNATURE:** `...`

**INTENT:** ...

**BEHAVIOR:**
- WHEN ... THEN ...

**TESTS:**
- `...`

---

Rules

• Extract behavior from the code AS-IS — do not improve or fix the function
• If the code has bugs, note them but spec the current behavior
• Preserve exact error messages from the source code
• If types are not annotated, infer and mark with a comment
• Always generate at least 3 tests per function
• Use the source language’s syntax for SIGNATURE, not pseudocode
• Works with any programming language — adapt extraction to the language’s idioms
• Ask the user to verify the spec matches their intent — code might not reflect original requirements

This site is open source. Improve this page.