Architecture Refiner

Architecture Refiner

Step 0: Style Selection

Before anything else, ask the user which architecture style their team uses:

"What architecture style does your team use?

1. Clean Architecture (default) — layers (Domain, Application, Interface, Infrastructure), dependency inversion, command/query separation
2. Hexagonal / Ports & Adapters — core domain surrounded by ports, adapters on the outside
3. Modular Monolith — vertical slices, each module owns its own layers
4. Custom / Define from scratch — you describe the layers and rules"

Branching:

• Option 1 → proceed to the clean architecture flow below (existing interview). Template: ./assets/template-clean-arch.md. Output: .lattice/standards/architecture.md. Config key: paths.architecture. No architecture_mode key needed (defaults to clean).
• Options 2–4 → proceed to the generic architecture flow. Template: ./assets/template-generic.md. Output: .lattice/standards/architecture.md. Config key: paths.architecture. Additionally, set architecture_mode: custom in .lattice/config.yaml.

The rest of this document describes the clean architecture flow (Option 1). For the generic flow (Options 2–4), read ./assets/template-generic.md and follow its <!-- INTERVIEW GUIDANCE: --> comments. The facilitation approach, conversation style, output assembly, and document quality checks below apply to both flows — substitute the appropriate template, output path, and config key.

What This Produces

For clean architecture (Option 1):

• Output: .lattice/standards/architecture.md (or custom path from .lattice/config.yaml → paths.architecture)
• Two modes:
  • Overlay (mode: overlay): A slim document containing only sections that differ from the defaults. The architecture atom reads its embedded clean-architecture defaults first, then applies this document's sections on top. This is the expected common case.
  • Override (mode: override): A comprehensive standalone document that fully replaces the atom's embedded defaults. For teams that want to define clean architecture from scratch.
• Default mode: Overlay -- produces only what the user wants to change
• Config key: paths.architecture in .lattice/config.yaml
• Template: Read ./assets/template-clean-arch.md for the full document structure, default content, and interview guidance comments

For other styles (Options 2–4):

• Output: .lattice/standards/architecture.md (or custom path from .lattice/config.yaml → paths.architecture)
• Mode: Always override — there are no embedded defaults to overlay onto for non-clean-architecture styles
• Config key: paths.architecture in .lattice/config.yaml
• Additional config: Sets architecture_mode: custom in .lattice/config.yaml
• Template: Read ./assets/template-generic.md for the document structure and interview guidance comments

Before You Begin

Check for existing documents

Before starting the interview, check whether a custom document already exists:

1. Read .lattice/config.yaml — check paths.architecture.
2. If the relevant path exists (based on the style selected in Step 0), read that file. Ask the user:
   • "You already have a custom architecture document. Would you like to revise it (update specific sections), start fresh (new interview), or add to it (add new sections)?"
   • Revise: Load the existing document, walk through only the sections the user wants to change, and update in place.
   • Start fresh: Proceed with the full interview flow below.
   • Add to it: Skip to the "New Sections" part of the interview.
3. If no config or no existing document, proceed with the full interview flow.

Scan the repository

Look for signals that inform the conversation:

• Directory structure: Does src/ (or equivalent) already have layers? What are they named?
• Existing patterns: Are there existing controllers, services, repositories, providers? What naming conventions are in use?
• DI patterns: Is there a DI container, manual injection, or framework-provided injection?
• Architecture docs: Any existing architecture documentation (ADRs, README sections)?
• Framework: What framework is in use? (NestJS, Spring, Django, etc.) This affects naming conventions and common patterns.

Share relevant findings with the user at the start: "I noticed your project already has [X structure]. I'll use that as context."

If the project is new with no code, proceed with pure defaults as the starting point.

Choosing the Mode

The first decision in the conversation. Present the three options:

"How would you like to define your architecture principles?

1. Customize specific sections (overlay) — Keep the defaults and change only what differs for your project. This produces a slim document. Most teams choose this.
2. Define everything from scratch (override) — Walk through all sections and produce a comprehensive standalone document.
3. Add project-specific sections only (overlay with additions) — Keep all defaults as-is and add new sections for your team's specific rules.

The defaults cover standard clean architecture well. Option 1 is recommended unless your architecture is fundamentally different."

Map the choice:

• Options 1 and 3 → mode: overlay
• Option 2 → mode: override

Facilitation Approach

Conversation style

• One section at a time. Do not dump all questions at once. Walk through the template sequentially.
• Defaults-first. For each section, briefly summarize the default, then ask if it matches. Do not read the entire default verbatim -- summarize the key points and ask.
• Record decisions, not discussion. The output document reads as a specification, not meeting notes. "We discussed X and decided Y" is wrong. "Y" is right.
• Probe, don't interrogate. Use the probing questions in the template guidance comments as follow-ups when the user's answer is ambiguous, not as a checklist.

For overlay mode

This should be fast. Many sections will be "keep as-is."

1. Present each section's default briefly (a 2-3 sentence summary, not full content).
2. Ask: "Does this match your project, or would you like to change it?"
3. If the user says it matches → skip it (section will NOT appear in the output).
4. If the user wants changes → dive into that section, discuss the specifics, record the changes.
5. At the end, ask: "Any sections you'd like to add that aren't in the defaults?" (e.g., naming conventions, framework-specific rules).
6. Only sections the user changed or added appear in the output document.

For override mode

This is thorough. Every section gets attention and appears in the output.

1. Walk through every section in full detail.
2. User confirms, modifies, or replaces each section.
3. All sections appear in the output -- defaults for unchanged ones, user's version for changed ones.

Common scenarios

• "I agree with everything" → No custom document needed. Tell the user: "The embedded defaults are already active and match your preferences. No custom document is needed — the architecture atom will use the clean-architecture defaults automatically."
• "I agree except one section" → Overlay mode, interview that one section only.
• "We use CQRS" → Overlay §3.2 + §4 (they are coupled — CQRS changes the service pattern which changes both flows).
• "We don't use Providers" → Overlay §3.4 + §4.2 + §4.3 + §6 (Provider removal ripples through query flow and validation).
• "We have extra layers" → Overlay §1 + §2 + §3 (new layers need responsibilities, dependency placement, and per-layer rules).

Section-by-Section Interview Guide

Read ./assets/template-clean-arch.md (for clean architecture) or ./assets/template-generic.md (for other styles) and follow the <!-- INTERVIEW GUIDANCE: --> comments for each section. Those comments contain the specific questions to ask, probing questions, and what is customizable vs fixed.

Cross-section dependency table

Decisions in early sections affect later sections. When a user changes an early section, flag the dependent sections:

When a dependency is triggered, inform the user: "Since you changed [X], we should also review [Y] — it's affected by that decision."