CodAL is not a HDL. Indeed, CodAL is an ADL (Architecture Description Language). Even though they are somehow similar, HDLs are different from ADLs as they are more low-level and do not have a description that covers software development tools. Expressing a processor in an HDL instantly requires significantly more effort than using an ADL specifically designed to describe processors, such as Codasip CodAL. Designing and optimizing a processor in CodAL is much more efficient than doing it in an HDL. How more efficient? We use the following analogy: how easier it is to write an application in C/C++ vs. in assembler code.