diff --git a/lua/dep/package.lua b/lua/dep/package.lua
index 83b8768..d1a1161 100644
--- a/lua/dep/package.lua
+++ b/lua/dep/package.lua
@@ -1,29 +1,5 @@
 local logger = require('dep.log')
-
----@class modules
----@field prefix string prefix to prepend to the modules
----@field [integer] string list of all modules to load
-
----@class speclist
----@field modules modules a list of modules
----@field [integer] spec a spec
-
----@class spec
----@field [1] string id
----@field setup function? code to run before the package is loaded
----@field load function? code to run after the package is loaded
----@field config function? code to run after the package is installed/updated
----@field lazy function? code to run which determines when the package is loaded
----@field as string? overrides the short name of the package which is usually set
---- to a substring of all the chars after '/' in spec[1]
----@field url string? the url to the git repository hosting the package
----@field path string? path to local version of plugin, overrides the url
----@field branch string? the branch which the version of the package resides
----@field commit string? the commit which the version of the package resides
----@field disable boolean? if true disables the package from being loaded
----@field pin boolean? if true disables the package from being installed/updated
----@field reqs spec|spec[]|string? packages that this package requires
----@field deps spec|spec[]|string? packages that depend on this package
+local spec_man = require("dep.spec")
 
 ---@class package
 ---@field id string id of the package
@@ -63,153 +39,6 @@ local root
 ---@type package[]
 local packages = {}
 
---- check if a string seems to be a url
----@param url string the "url" to check
----@return boolean is_url
-local function is_url(url)
-  if url:sub(1, 8) == "https://" or
-    url:sub(1, 7) == "http://" then
-    return true
-  end
-  return false
-end
-
---- check a spec to see if it's correct
----@param spec spec|string the specification to check
----@return spec|false spec if the spec is ok or false
-local function check_spec(spec)
-  -- make sure spec is a table
-  if type(spec) == "string" then
-    spec = { spec }
-  end
-
-  -- make sure all the data is correct
-  do -- spec[1]
-    if type(spec[1]) ~= "string" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec[1] must be a string")
-      return false
-    end
-
-    local name = spec[1]:match("^[%w-_.]+/([%w-_.]+)$")
-    if not name then
-      logger:log("spec", 'invalid name "%s"; must be in the format "user/package"', spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-  end
-
-  if spec.setup ~= nil then -- spec.setup
-    if type(spec.setup) ~= "function" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.setup must be a function in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-  end
-
-  if spec.load ~= nil then -- spec.load
-    if type(spec.load) ~= "function" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.load must be a function in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-  end
-
-  if spec.config ~= nil then -- spec.config
-    if type(spec.config) ~= "function" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.config must be a function in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-  end
-
-  if spec.lazy ~= nil then -- spec.lazy
-    if type(spec.lazy) ~= "function" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.lazy must be a function in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-  end
-
-  if spec.as ~= nil then -- spec.as
-    if type(spec.as) ~= "string" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.as must be a string in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-  end
-
-  if spec.url ~= nil then -- spec.url
-    if type(spec.url) ~= "string" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.url must be a string in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    elseif not is_url(spec.url) then -- more strict checking on urls
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.url must be a properly formatted url in %s",
-        spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-  end
-
-  if spec.path ~= nil then -- spec.path
-    if type(spec.path) ~= "string" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.path must be a string in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    elseif not vim.fn.isdirectory(spec.path) then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.path must be a valid directory in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-  end
-
-  if spec.branch ~= nil then -- spec.branch
-    if type(spec.branch) ~= "string" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.branch must be a string in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-  end
-
-  if spec.commit ~= nil then -- spec.commit
-    if type(spec.commit) ~= "string" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.commit must be a string in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-  end
-
-  if spec.disable ~= nil then -- spec.disable
-    if type(spec.disable) ~= "boolean" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.disable must be a boolean in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-  end
-
-  if spec.pin ~= nil then -- spec.pin
-    if type(spec.pin) ~= "boolean" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.pin must be a boolean in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-  end
-
-  if spec.reqs ~= nil then -- spec.reqs
-    local is = type(spec.reqs)
-    if is ~= "table" and is ~= "string" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.reqs must be a table or a string in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-
-    -- turn an id into a spec
-    if (is == "string") then
-      spec.reqs = { spec.reqs }
-    end
-  end
-
-  if spec.deps ~= nil then -- spec.deps
-    local is = type(spec.deps)
-    if is ~= "table" and is ~= "string" then
-      logger:log("spec", "spec.deps must be a table or a string in %s", spec[1])
-      return false
-    end
-
-    -- turn an id into a spec
-    if (is == "string") then
-      spec.deps = { spec.deps }
-    end
-  end
-
-  return spec
-end
-
 --- tell the parent it has a child and the child it has a parent
 ---@param parent package? parent package if nil defaults to self
 ---@param child package child package
@@ -236,7 +65,7 @@ function package:new(spec, overrides)
   overrides = overrides or {}
 
   -- ensure that the spec is ok
-  local new_spec = check_spec(spec)
+  local new_spec = spec_man.check(spec)
   if new_spec == false then
     logger:log("spec", vim.inspect(spec))
     logger:log("error", "spec check failed, check DepLog")
@@ -275,7 +104,7 @@ function package:new(spec, overrides)
     packages[id] = o
   end
 
-  o.name = spec.as or o.name or id:match("^[%w-_.]+/([%w-_.]+)$")
+  o.name = spec.as or o.name or spec_man.get_name(spec)
   o.url = spec.url or o.url or ("https://github.com/"..id..".git")
   o.path = spec.path and vim.fs.normalize(spec.path) or spec.path
   o.branch = spec.branch or o.branch
diff --git a/lua/dep/spec.lua b/lua/dep/spec.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e5b467
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lua/dep/spec.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+local logger = require("dep.log")
+
+---@class modules
+---@field prefix string prefix to prepend to the modules
+---@field [integer] string list of all modules to load
+
+---@class speclist
+---@field modules modules a list of modules
+---@field [integer] spec a spec
+
+---@class spec
+---@field [1] string id
+---@field setup function? code to run before the package is loaded
+---@field load function? code to run after the package is loaded
+---@field config function? code to run after the package is installed/updated
+---@field lazy function? code to run which determines when the package is loaded
+---@field as string? overrides the short name of the package which is usually set
+--- to a substring of all the chars after "/" in spec[1]
+---@field url string? the url to the git repository hosting the package
+---@field path string? path to local version of plugin, overrides the url
+---@field branch string? the branch which the version of the package resides
+---@field commit string? the commit which the version of the package resides
+---@field disable boolean? if true disables the package from being loaded
+---@field pin boolean? if true disables the package from being installed/updated
+---@field reqs spec|spec[]|string? packages that this package requires
+---@field deps spec|spec[]|string? packages that depend on this package
+local spec = {}
+
+--- check if a string seems to be a url
+---@param url string the "url" to check
+---@return boolean is_url
+local function is_url(url)
+  if url:sub(1, 8) == "https://" or
+    url:sub(1, 7) == "http://" then
+    return true
+  end
+  return false
+end
+
+--- get the proper name of a spec
+---@return string spec.name
+function spec:get_name()
+  return self[1]:match("^[%w-_.]+/([%w-_.]+)$")
+end
+
+--- check a spec to see if it's correct
+---@param self table|string spec to check
+---@return spec|false spec if the spec is ok or false
+function spec:check()
+  -- make sure spec is a table
+  if type(self) == "string" then
+    self = { self }
+  end
+
+  -- make sure all the data is correct
+  do -- spec[1]
+    if type(self[1]) ~= "string" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec[1] must be a string")
+      return false
+    end
+
+    local name = spec.get_name(self)
+    if not name then
+      logger:log("spec", 'invalid name "%s"; must be in the format "user/package"', self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+  end
+
+  if self.setup ~= nil then -- spec.setup
+    if type(self.setup) ~= "function" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.setup must be a function in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+  end
+
+  if self.load ~= nil then -- spec.load
+    if type(self.load) ~= "function" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.load must be a function in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+  end
+
+  if self.config ~= nil then -- spec.config
+    if type(self.config) ~= "function" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.config must be a function in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+  end
+
+  if self.lazy ~= nil then -- spec.lazy
+    if type(self.lazy) ~= "function" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.lazy must be a function in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+  end
+
+  if self.as ~= nil then -- spec.as
+    if type(self.as) ~= "string" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.as must be a string in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+  end
+
+  if self.url ~= nil then -- spec.url
+    if type(self.url) ~= "string" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.url must be a string in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    elseif not is_url(self.url) then -- more strict checking on urls
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.url must be a properly formatted url in %s",
+        self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+  end
+
+  if self.path ~= nil then -- spec.path
+    if type(self.path) ~= "string" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.path must be a string in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    elseif not vim.fn.isdirectory(self.path) then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.path must be a valid directory in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+  end
+
+  if self.branch ~= nil then -- spec.branch
+    if type(self.branch) ~= "string" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.branch must be a string in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+  end
+
+  if self.commit ~= nil then -- spec.commit
+    if type(self.commit) ~= "string" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.commit must be a string in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+  end
+
+  if self.disable ~= nil then -- spec.disable
+    if type(self.disable) ~= "boolean" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.disable must be a boolean in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+  end
+
+  if self.pin ~= nil then -- spec.pin
+    if type(self.pin) ~= "boolean" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.pin must be a boolean in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+  end
+
+  if self.reqs ~= nil then -- spec.reqs
+    local is = type(self.reqs)
+    if is ~= "table" and is ~= "string" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.reqs must be a table or a string in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+
+    -- turn an id into a spec
+    if (is == "string") then
+      self.reqs = { self.reqs }
+    end
+  end
+
+  if self.deps ~= nil then -- spec.deps
+    local is = type(self.deps)
+    if is ~= "table" and is ~= "string" then
+      logger:log("spec", "spec.deps must be a table or a string in %s", self[1])
+      return false
+    end
+
+    -- turn an id into a spec
+    if (is == "string") then
+      self.deps = { self.deps }
+    end
+  end
+
+  return self
+end
+
+return spec