# README

Getting started with SpecOps

Install Go
Clone the SpecOps repo:

git clone https://github.com/solidifylabs/specops.git

From the getting-started directory:

go run . compile

This will print the compiled EVM bytecode to stdout. The first time you run it you may see some logs about fetching dependencies, but from then on it will only output the compiled contract.

Development

The getting-started.spec.go file contains everything you need to be productive. If this is your first time using Go, stick between the START/STOP EDITING HERE comments and everything will work.

Do I have to learn Go?

No.

SpecOps is a DSL built and run in Go, but designed so that it reads and is written like a standalone language. The advantage of piggybacking on the Go toolchain is that we get all of the developer tooling out of the box: syntax highlighting, code completion, etc. For more experienced Go developers, there is also support for native testing, interoperability with geth, etc.

A standalone language inside another? In Go, all functions, types, etc. from external packages are usually referenced by their package name. There is, however, the ability to "dot-import" a package, promoting these symbols such that the package-qualification is unnecessary. specops.Fn becomes Fn, specops.MSTORE becomes MSTORE, etc. While this goes against the Go style guide, for a DSL it makes sense as it greatly improves developer experience.

Other CLI usage

Commands

The CLI has compile, exec, and debug commands. The -h or --help flag will provide more information about each (for now, quite limited).

calldata

Both the exec and debug commands support the --calldata flag, which accepts hex-encoded calldata (without the 0x prefix). For example:

go run . debug --calldata decafc0ffeebad

Debugger

<space> Step to next instruction
<end> Fast-forward to the end of execution
<Esc> or q Once execution has ended, quit
Ctrl+C At any time, quit