The coordinate model
A Catenator spec is a coordinate space. Every entry in a spec is a coordinate — a located description of one aspect of the system, examined through one lens, at one quality level.
The coordinate space has three axes.
Descriptors
Descriptors are what you are examining. Catenator defines thirteen:
| Descriptor | Specifies |
|---|---|
system |
the whole — named at every level of resolution |
domain |
the vocabulary and rules governing the system |
model |
the data structures the system operates on |
component |
the discrete, reusable pieces the system is made of |
service |
the capabilities the system exposes or consumes |
operation |
the individual operations the system performs |
actor |
who or what interacts with the system |
event |
what the system must respond to |
rule |
the constraints the system must enforce |
process |
the workflows the system executes |
integration |
the system's boundaries with external systems |
utility |
what the system does, for whom, and to what end |
risk |
what can go wrong, how likely, and who bears it |
No descriptor is mandatory. Use what the system requires.
Views
Views are the lenses you bring to a descriptor. Catenator defines five:
| View | Examines |
|---|---|
interface |
how the system meets what is outside it — actors, context, situation, dependency |
structure |
what the system consists of internally |
behavior |
how the system operates |
failure |
what breaks and who bears it |
time |
how the system is planned (forward) and how it evolves (backward) |
Views are universal — any design methodology can apply them. They are not owned by Catenator.
-ilities
The -ilities are quality dimensions — how well any coordinate is described. They apply across all descriptors and views.
Structural — what the standard must support:
reproducibility, compilability, traceability, composability, extensibility, portability
Qualitative — what a well-written spec achieves:
completeness, consistency, unambiguity, precision, minimality
AI-specific — what the intelligence layer measures:
interpretability, configurability, reliability, verifiability, readiness
The -ilities are established practice — ISO 25010, TOGAF, SEI. Catenator applies them as a third axis, not as a checklist on the output.
A spec entry as a coordinate
Every meaningful entry in a spec occupies a position on all three axes:
descriptor × view × -ility
Example: component × behavior × reproducibility
Does this component's behavioral description produce the same system every time it is built from?
A minimal spec populates descriptors and views. A quality spec adds -ility awareness — it knows not just what it is describing and through which lens, but how well that description needs to hold.
The multi-dimensional approach to system description is Catenator's contribution. The pieces — descriptors, views, -ilities — exist elsewhere in isolation. The coordinate space that connects them is new.