Enhancing Rule Dependability by Minimizing Freedom in Code

The article explores the complexities that arise when implementing rules in programming, particularly in Elixir, where semantic assumptions can lead to bugs. The author proposes reducing degrees of freedom by using a smaller set of primitives with clear semantics to define rules. A Predicate DSL is introduced to handle truthiness in Elixir, aiming for clarity and consistent behavior. The article also includes examples involving a role-playing game and demonstrates how to define and check character statuses using Funx's predicates. By reducing variations in implementations, the rules become more readable and maintainable, aligning with the language used by domain experts. This approach also aids in leveraging language models, making code generation more straightforward.