Spec Explorer helps you detect problems in your specifications

Microsoft has recently announces a new MSDN Labs project: Spec Explorer 2010. According to Microsoft, Spec Explorer is a "tool that extends Visual Studio for modeling software behavior, analyzing that behavior by graphical visualization, model checking; and generating standalone test code from models."

Thus, the tool can analyze your visual specifications (think for instance state machines)and point out problems in them. Also, testing code can be generated automatically.

Actually, Spec Explorer is not new, it has been around since 2004. But, this new 2010 version has been greatly improved, and thus worth the first look, or if you are already familiar with the tool from old days, a definite second look.

Check out the introductory video on Channel 9.