SuperSpec: Context Engineering and BDD for Agentic AI
SuperSpec unites Context Engineering and Behaviour-Driven Development (BDD) for the age of agentic AI. Learn how this declarative DSL bridges context, testing, and optimization for autonomous agents.
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Context Engineering represents the systematic approach to curating the optimal information environment for Large Language Models. As detailed in the Superagentic AI article, this discipline addresses the critical challenge of providing "just-right" context to AI agents.
Dynamic knowledge retrieval through RAG systems
Persistent memory management across conversations
Tool integration and orchestration
Short-term / episodic memory
Multi-modal context assembly
Context compression and optimization
The goal is delivering precisely calibrated information—enough to enable high-quality responses, but not so much that costs spiral or focus is lost. Read the latest survey paper.
Agent Engineering: The New Discipline
IMPACT Framework
Integrated LLMs, Central language models with optimized configurations
Test-first (feature specifications run as executable scenarios)
Runtime-agnostic (DSPy today; any optimiser tomorrow)
SuperSpec is a Kubernetes-style specification language that makes agent building as simple as writing a YAML file. Think of it as "Kubernetes for AI agents" you describe what you want, and SuperOptiX builds the pipeline.
SuperSpec YAML Example
apiVersion: agent/v1
kind: AgentSpec
metadata:
name: "Developer Assistant"
id: "developer"
namespace: "software"
version: "1.0.0"
agent_type: "Supervised"
level: "oracles"
description: "An agent that helps write clean, efficient, and maintainable code"
spec:
language_model:
location: "local"
provider: "ollama"
model: "llama3.2:1b"
api_base: "http://localhost:11434"
persona:
name: "DevBot"
role: "Software Developer"
goal: "Write clean, efficient, and maintainable code"
traits: ["analytical", "detail-oriented", "problem-solver"]
tasks:
- name: "implement_feature"
instruction: "Implement the feature based on the provided requirement"
inputs:
- name: "feature_requirement"
type: "str"
description: "A detailed description of the feature to implement"
required: true
outputs:
- name: "implementation"
type: "str"
description: "The code implementation of the feature"
agentflow:
- name: "generate_code"
type: "Generate"
task: "implement_feature"
evaluation:
builtin_metrics:
- name: "answer_exact_match"
threshold: 1.0
feature_specifications:
scenarios:
- name: "developer_comprehensive_task"
description: "Given a complex software requirement, the agent should provide detailed analysis"
input:
feature_requirement: "Complex software scenario requiring comprehensive analysis"
expected_output:
implementation: "Detailed step-by-step analysis with software-specific recommendations"
BDD: From RSpec to SuperSpec
Aspect
RSpec/PHPSpec
SuperSpec
Subject
Code methods
Agent behaviors
Language
Ruby/PHP DSL
YAML DSL
Scenarios
GWT or custom DSL
feature_specifications
Assertions
Boolean tests
Semantic metrics
Feedback
Test failures
Optimization loops
BDD Feature Specifications: AI-Optimized Testing
BDD Scenarios in SuperSpec
feature_specifications:
scenarios:
- name: "developer_problem_solving"
description: "When facing software challenges, the agent should demonstrate systematic problem-solving approach"
input:
feature_requirement: "Challenging software problem requiring creative solutions"
expected_output:
implementation: "Structured problem-solving approach with multiple solution options"
Human-readable documentation of expected behaviors
Training data for DSPy optimization loops
Test cases for automated evaluation
Quality gates for deployment decisions
Professional BDD Runner: Production-Grade Testing
SuperOptiX BDD Runner
# Standard specification execution
super agent evaluate developer
# Detailed analysis with verbose output
super agent evaluate developer --verbose
# Auto-tuning for improved results
super agent evaluate developer --auto-tune
# JSON output for CI/CD integration
super agent evaluate developer --format json
Semantic Similarity (50% weight) - How closely output matches expected meaning
Keyword Presence (20% weight) - Important terms and concepts inclusion
Structure Match (20% weight) - Format, length, and organization similarity
Optimize automatically using scenarios as training data
Re-evaluate to measure improvement
Deploy when quality gates pass
How SuperSpec Context Becomes a DSPy Signature
DSPy Signature Example
class DeveloperSignature(dspy.Signature):
"""
Software Developer: Write clean, efficient, and maintainable code
Role: Software Developer Traits: analytical, detail-oriented, problem-solver
Instruction: You are a Software Developer. Your goal is to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code. Implement the feature based on the provided requirement. """
# Input Fields
feature_requirement: str = dspy.InputField(desc="A detailed description of the feature to implement.")
# Output Fields
reasoning: str = dspy.OutputField(desc="The step-by-step reasoning process to arrive at the answer.")
implementation: str = dspy.OutputField(desc="The code implementation of the feature.")
This auto-generated DSPy signature can be further tuned by DSPy experts for advanced prompt and context optimization.
Beyond DSPy: Framework-Agnostic Future
SuperSpec Integrations
LangChain adaptation: Map agentflow to chain components
Custom optimizers: Plug in RLHF, PEFT, or proprietary techniques
Cloud deployment: Generate serverless function configurations
Kubernetes orchestration: Transform specs into CRDs for large-scale deployment
A LangChain/Graph compiler could map agentflow steps to SequentialChain nodes.
A TGI or vLLM backend can be swapped by editing language_model only.
Custom optimisation strategies (RLHF, PEFT) plug in via the optimization section.
The SuperSpec Advantage
Single source of truth: Persona, context, flow, testing, and optimization in one versioned file
Shift-left reliability: BDD scenarios catch hallucinations before deployment
Runtime agnosticism: Swap backends without changing specifications
Team communication: Product managers and engineers work from the same specifications
Version control: Track changes to agent behavior over time
The Future of Agent Development
Design agents declaratively using industry-standard YAML
Test behavior systematically with executable specifications
Optimize automatically using proven ML techniques
Deploy confidently with comprehensive quality gates
As AI systems become increasingly complex, SuperSpec provides the foundation for maintainable, reliable, and auditable intelligent systems. It's not just a specification language—it's the future of how we build AI that works.
Final Thought
SuperSpec fuses context engineering and BDD into a coherent workflow: write YAML, validate, run scenarios, optimise, and deploy.
By elevating context to a first-class, testable artefact, it turns agent engineering into an engineering discipline with the same rigour developers expect from software pipelines. Start with a simple Oracles playbook, evolve into a Genies with tools, RAG, and memory, and let SuperSpec guide the journey—all without touching Python.