PR Design Doc
OpenHands/OpenHands
For a non-trivial pull request, write a self-contained HTML design doc under the temporary .pr/ directory and link a visibility-appropriate preview in the PR description, so maintainers grasp the…
Generates Architecture Decision Records capturing context, rationale, alternatives, and consequences in numbered status-tracked format.
Install Adr Writer
$ npx skills add Mathews-Tom/armory --skill adr-writer -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install Mathews-Tom/armory adr-writer --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/adr-writer .claude/skills/adr-writer && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "adr-writer" agent skill from https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory/tree/main/skills/adr-writer into .claude/skills/adr-writer/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "adr-writer", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory/tree/main/skills/adr-writerType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add Mathews-Tom/armory --skill adr-writer -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install Mathews-Tom/armory adr-writer --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/adr-writer .agents/skills/adr-writer && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "adr-writer" agent skill from https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory/tree/main/skills/adr-writer into .agents/skills/adr-writer/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "adr-writer", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add Mathews-Tom/armory --skill adr-writer -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install Mathews-Tom/armory adr-writer --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/adr-writer .cursor/skills/adr-writer && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "adr-writer" agent skill from https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory/tree/main/skills/adr-writer into .cursor/skills/adr-writer/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "adr-writer", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory.git --path skills/adr-writer--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add Mathews-Tom/armory --skill adr-writer -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install Mathews-Tom/armory adr-writer --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/adr-writer .gemini/skills/adr-writer && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "adr-writer" agent skill from https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory/tree/main/skills/adr-writer into .gemini/skills/adr-writer/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "adr-writer", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install Mathews-Tom/armory adr-writerInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add Mathews-Tom/armory --skill adr-writer -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/adr-writer .github/skills/adr-writer && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "adr-writer" agent skill from https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory/tree/main/skills/adr-writer into .github/skills/adr-writer/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "adr-writer", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add Mathews-Tom/armory --skill adr-writer -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install Mathews-Tom/armory adr-writer --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/adr-writer .opencode/skills/adr-writer && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "adr-writer" agent skill from https://github.com/Mathews-Tom/armory/tree/main/skills/adr-writer into .opencode/skills/adr-writer/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "adr-writer", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
adr-writer- GitHub stars
- 328
- Token cost
- ~2k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 757 words
- Files
- 6 (incl. references)
- Skills in repo
- 80
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Generates Architecture Decision Records capturing context, rationale, alternatives, and consequences in numbered status-tracked format.
- Works in 6 steps: Identify the Decision → Capture Context → Enumerate Alternatives → …
- Document this decision
- SKILL.md covers Reference Files, Prerequisites, Workflow and Output Format, plus 3 more sections
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Adr Writer is an agent skill from Mathews-Tom/armory. Generates Architecture Decision Records capturing context, rationale, alternatives, and consequences in numbered status-tracked format. Triggers on: "write an ADR", "document this decision", "architecture decision record", "decision record", "design decision", "ADR for".
Its SKILL.md is about 2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 7 other files, including reference files (for example `evals/cases.yaml`, `references/adr-template.md` and `references/alternatives-analysis.md`).
It sits in Development, covering Architecture decision records. The repository describes itself as: Curated, production-grade skills for AI coding agents. Battle-tested workflows for developers who use AI seriously. The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- Document this decision
- Architecture decision record
- Decision record
- Design decision
Example prompts
- “write an ADR”
- “document this decision”
- “architecture decision record”
- “/adr-writer”
Workflow steps
6 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 4594fb7. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Adr Writer loads about 2k tokens when it runs, and up to ~7.2k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 71 tokens; SKILL.md has 757 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from Mathews-Tom/armory at commit 4594fb7, republished under its MIT licence (© Mathews-Tom). 757 words, ~2,025 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/adr-writer/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 5 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- adr-writer
- description
- Generates Architecture Decision Records capturing context, rationale, alternatives, and consequences in numbered status-tracked format. Triggers on: "write an ADR", "document this decision", "architecture decision record", "decision record", "design decision", "ADR for".
- metadata.version
- 1.1.1
- metadata.category
- operations
- metadata.tags
- architecture, decision-record, documentation, adr
- metadata.difficulty
- intermediate
- metadata.phase
- plan
ADR Writer
Captures architecture decisions in a lightweight, structured format that preserves context, rationale, alternatives, and consequences. Produces numbered ADR documents with proper status lifecycle — preventing the "why did we do it this way?" problem when revisiting decisions months later.
Reference Files
| File | Contents | Load When |
|---|---|---|
references/adr-template.md | Standard ADR template with field explanations and examples | Always |
references/status-lifecycle.md | Status transitions, supersession rules, deprecation process | ADR references existing decisions |
references/context-capture.md | Techniques for eliciting and documenting decision context | Complex or multi-stakeholder decision |
references/alternatives-analysis.md | Framework for evaluating and documenting rejected alternatives | Multiple options being considered |
Prerequisites
- A decisions directory (typically
docs/adr/ordocs/decisions/) - Understanding of the decision being made (may require clarifying questions)
Workflow
Phase 1: Identify the Decision
- What choice was made? — Extract the core architectural decision. If the user describes a problem, help them articulate the decision that resolves it.
- Is this decision-worthy? — ADRs are for decisions that:
- Affect system structure (component boundaries, data flow, API design)
- Are hard to reverse (technology choice, database schema, protocol)
- Have non-obvious tradeoffs (multiple viable alternatives)
- Will be questioned later (the "why" will be forgotten)
- What triggered this decision? — New requirement, performance issue, scaling concern, security audit finding, tech debt, team growth.
Phase 2: Capture Context
Document the forces that shaped this decision:
- Requirements — What functional or non-functional requirements drive this?
- Constraints — What limits the solution space? (budget, timeline, team expertise, existing infrastructure, regulatory requirements)
- Current state — What exists today? What is the pain point?
- Stakeholders — Who is affected by this decision? Who needs to agree?
Phase 3: Enumerate Alternatives
For each alternative considered:
- Name it clearly — "PostgreSQL" not "Option A"
- List concrete pros — Specific, measurable benefits
- List concrete cons — Specific, measurable drawbacks
- State the rejection reason — Why this alternative was not chosen. Be specific: "Does not support our required throughput of 10K ops/sec" not "Too slow."
Phase 4: Document the Decision
State the chosen option and why it was selected given the context and constraints. The decision should follow logically from the context + alternatives analysis.
Phase 5: Project Consequences
Document what this decision makes easier and harder:
- Positive consequences — What improves?
- Negative consequences — What tradeoffs are accepted? What tech debt is incurred?
- Neutral consequences — Side effects that are neither good nor bad.
Phase 6: Assign Metadata
- Number — Sequential: ADR-001, ADR-002, etc. Check existing ADRs for the next number.
- Status — Initial status is usually "Proposed" or "Accepted"
- Date — Date the ADR was written
- Author — Who authored this ADR
- Supersedes/Superseded-by — Link to related ADRs if this replaces an earlier decision
Output Format
# ADR-{NNN}: {Descriptive Title}
**Status:** {Proposed | Accepted | Deprecated | Superseded by ADR-XXX}
**Date:** {YYYY-MM-DD}
**Author:** {name}
**Supersedes:** {ADR-XXX (if applicable)}
## Context
{What situation requires a decision? What constraints exist? What forces are at play?
Write in present tense — describe the situation as it exists at decision time.}
## Decision
{State the decision clearly and concisely. "We will use X for Y because Z."
One to three sentences. The reader should understand the decision without reading
the rest of the document.}
## Alternatives Considered
### {Alternative 1 Name}
- **Pros:** {specific benefits}
- **Cons:** {specific drawbacks}
- **Rejected because:** {concrete, specific reason tied to context}
### {Alternative 2 Name}
- **Pros:** {specific benefits}
- **Cons:** {specific drawbacks}
- **Rejected because:** {concrete, specific reason tied to context}
## Consequences
### Positive
- {Concrete benefit 1}
- {Concrete benefit 2}
### Negative
- {Concrete tradeoff 1 — acknowledged and accepted}
- {Technical debt incurred — with plan to address if applicable}
### Neutral
- {Side effect that is neither positive nor negative}
## References
- {Link to related issue, discussion, document, or prior ADR}Show full SKILL.md (323 more words)Show less
Calibration Rules
- Context is king. The Context section is the most important part. A decision without context is just an assertion. Future readers need to understand WHY, not just WHAT.
- Specific rejection reasons. "Not suitable" is not a rejection reason. "Does not support transactions across partitions, which we need for order processing" is.
- Honest consequences. Every decision has downsides. If the Negative section is empty, the analysis is incomplete. Push the user to articulate tradeoffs.
- Present tense for context. Write the Context section in present tense — it captures the world as it was when the decision was made.
- One decision per ADR. If multiple decisions are interrelated, write separate ADRs and cross-reference them. Do not bundle unrelated decisions.
- Immutable after acceptance. Accepted ADRs are not edited. If a decision changes, write a new ADR that supersedes the old one. This preserves the historical record.
Error Handling
| Problem | Resolution |
|---|---|
| User cannot articulate alternatives | Help them brainstorm by asking: "What else could you have done? What did you consider and reject?" |
| Decision is trivial (no real alternatives) | Suggest it doesn't need an ADR. ADRs are for non-obvious decisions with tradeoffs. |
| Decision already made, no context remembered | Reconstruct context from code, PRs, commit history. Note reconstructed context as "best available." |
| Existing ADR numbering scheme unknown | Check docs/adr/ or docs/decisions/. If no directory exists, suggest creating one and starting at 001. |
| Decision scope is too broad | Split into multiple focused ADRs. One for the database choice, one for the caching strategy, etc. |
When NOT to Write an ADR
Push back if:
- The decision is easily reversible (library version, code formatting rules) — use a comment or config instead
- The decision is a standard practice with no alternatives (use HTTPS, validate input) — not decision-worthy
- The user wants to document implementation details — ADRs are for WHY decisions, not HOW implementations
- The decision has already been superseded — write the new ADR, not the old one
© Mathews-Tom, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
SKILL.md and 5 other files (references) in skills/adr-writer of Mathews-Tom/armory.
- SKILL.md
- evals/cases.yaml
- references/adr-template.md
- references/alternatives-analysis.md
- references/context-capture.md
- references/status-lifecycle.md
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 4594fb7
Compare with similar skills
Adr Writer next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adr Writer this skillMathews-Tom/armory | 328 | — | ~2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| PR Design DocOpenHands/OpenHands | 90k | — | ~2.4k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Cto AdvisorIbrahim-3d/orchestrator-supaconductor | 381 | 4 repos | ~2.4k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Architecture DecisionDonchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios | 26k | — | ~1.7k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Improve Codebase Architectureywwynm/EverythingDone | 144 | 15 repos | ~1.3k | Automated safety check: Pass | GPL-3.0 | |
| Domain Modelingbrim-borium/spotify_sdk | 166 | 5 repos | ~806 | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 |
Similar skills
Cto Advisor
Ibrahim-3d/orchestrator-supaconductor
Technical leadership guidance for engineering teams, architecture decisions, and technology strategy.
Architecture Decision
Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios
Create an ADR documenting a technical decision: context, alternatives considered, consequences.
Improve Codebase Architecture
ywwynm/EverythingDone
Find deepening opportunities in a codebase, informed by the domain language in CONTEXT.md and the decisions in docs/adr/.
Domain Modeling
brim-borium/spotify_sdk
Build and sharpen a project's domain model. An agent skill from brim-borium/spotify_sdk.
Design Doc Mermaid
SpillwaveSolutions/design-doc-mermaid
Create Mermaid diagrams (flowchart, sequence, class, ER, state, C4, architecture) from text or source code.
More from Mathews-Tom/armory
All 80 skills in this repoArchitecture Reviewer
Mathews-Tom/armory
Architecture reviews across 7 dimensions (structural, scalability, enterprise readiness, performance, security, ops, data) with scored reports.
Concept To Image
Mathews-Tom/armory
Turn concepts into static HTML visuals exported as PNG or SVG files via HTML/CSS/SVG.
Watch
Mathews-Tom/armory
A skill your agent uses when analyzing an existing video URL or local recording: "watch this video", "analyze youtube video", "summarize this video", "youtube transcript", "find this moment", "what…
Code Refiner
Mathews-Tom/armory
Deep code simplification and refactoring preserving behavior across Python, Go, TypeScript, Rust.
Concept To Video
Mathews-Tom/armory
Turn concepts into animated explainer videos using Manim (Python) with MP4/GIF output, audio overlay, multi-scene composition.
Decision Map
Mathews-Tom/armory
Maps the unresolved architecture, policy, and scope decisions that must be answered before planning can start: one durable decision ticket per question on the issue tracker, typed and blocker-linked…
Related
Categories
Questions about Adr Writer
What does Adr Writer do?
Generates Architecture Decision Records capturing context, rationale, alternatives, and consequences in numbered status-tracked format. Adr Writer is an agent skill from Mathews-Tom/armory. Generates Architecture Decision Records capturing context, rationale, alternatives, and consequences in numbered status-tracked format.
When should I use Adr Writer?
Adr Writer fits situations like: document this decision; architecture decision record; decision record; design decision.
How do I install Adr Writer in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add Mathews-Tom/armory --skill adr-writer -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/adr-writer in Mathews-Tom/armory) into .claude/skills/adr-writer in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Adr Writer in Codex?
Run `npx skills add Mathews-Tom/armory --skill adr-writer -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/adr-writer in Mathews-Tom/armory) into .agents/skills/adr-writer in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Adr Writer in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add Mathews-Tom/armory --skill adr-writer -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/adr-writer, .gemini/skills/adr-writer, .github/skills/adr-writer and .opencode/skills/adr-writer in your project.
What does Adr Writer need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Adr Writer is instructions for the agent only.
Does Adr Writer access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Adr Writer safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Adr Writer use?
Adr Writer is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Adr Writer use?
About 2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 8.1k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 5.2k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.
What are the alternatives to Adr Writer?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Adr Writer: PR Design Doc (OpenHands/OpenHands, 90k stars), Cto Advisor (Ibrahim-3d/orchestrator-supaconductor, 381 stars), Architecture Decision (Donchitos/Claude-Code-Game-Studios, 26k stars) and Improve Codebase Architecture (ywwynm/EverythingDone, 144 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Adr Writer?
Mathews-Tom (a GitHub user) maintains it in Mathews-Tom/armory, which has 328 GitHub stars. The repository holds 80 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 6, 2026.
Source: Mathews-Tom/armory on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.