architecture

Single owner of everything under docs/architecture/ — ADRs, architecture and design documents, and architecture diagrams. Routes each deliverable to the right engine: /mermaid-architecture for Markdown-native diagrams, /drawio-architecture for editable .drawio diagrams, and the optional archify skill for interactive standalone HTML diagrams (used only when already installed in the environment; never installed at runtime). Use whenever architecture documentation, ADRs, or architecture diagrams must be created or updated.

Afonso Dutra Nogueira Filho@afonsoft

Install

openclaw skills install @afonsoft/architecture

Architecture

The single entry point for all repository architecture deliverables. Instead of calling diagram skills directly, agents invoke /architecture and this skill routes each deliverable to the right engine. It owns the docs/architecture/ folder end to end: ADRs, design documents, and every diagram format.

All questions and confirmations directed at the user must be in Portuguese (pt-BR). Internal reasoning and documentation are in English.

Ownership — `docs/architecture/`

Everything that describes or decides the system's architecture lives here:

text

docs/architecture/
├── AD-NNNN-<slug>.md                    # Architecture Decision Records
├── architecture-design.md               # Architecture design doc
├── system-design.md                     # System design doc
├── api-design.md                        # API design doc
├── database-design.md                   # Database design doc
├── feature-<name>-design.md             # Feature-scoped design doc
├── system-architecture.md               # Markdown doc with embedded Mermaid
├── <name>_<type>_<title>.mmd            # Mermaid sources
├── <name>_<type>_<title>.drawio         # Editable draw.io sources
├── <name>_<type>_<title>.png|.svg|.pdf  # Exported images
├── <name>.json                          # Archify candidate specs
└── <name>.html                          # Archify interactive HTML artifacts

Ensure the directory exists before writing: mkdir -p docs/architecture.

Projects scaffolded by /scaffold-mvp may also keep ADRs under docs/adr/. Treat docs/architecture/ as canonical; when docs/adr/ exists, keep it consistent with the AD index below.

Engine Routing

Pick the engine by deliverable, never by habit:

Deliverable	Engine	Why
ADR (`AD-NNNN`)	this skill (template below)	Structured Markdown decision record
Design doc (system / API / DB / feature)	`/mermaid-architecture` assets	Templates live in `mermaid-architecture/assets/`
Markdown-native diagram (C4, sequence, flow, ER, state)	`/mermaid-architecture`	Renders in GitHub/Obsidian/wikis, works headless
Editable `.drawio` diagram or PNG/SVG export	`/drawio-architecture`	draw.io MCP or desktop CLI; fall back to `/mermaid-architecture` if graphical rendering fails in headless environments
Interactive standalone HTML diagram (presentations, explorability, trace motion)	`archify` (optional, only if already installed)	Self-contained HTML + inline SVG with themes and export — see below
Evidence-backed audit (delivered state vs code/specs/docs)	`/gap-analysis`	Owned by this skill at the end of the pipeline — see `references/gap-audit-handoff.md`

Default order in the Orchestrator pipeline (Phase 5): /drawio-architecture for the editable system diagram → /mermaid-architecture for native Markdown diagrams → archify for the interactive runtime diagram when installed → /gap-analysis for the final evidence-backed audit.

Guardrails

Never install external skills. Archify is used only when already installed in the environment. If absent, skip it — do not prompt for, suggest, or run any install command — consistent with the orchestrator's "no silent execution" and "trusted delegation only" rules.
Graceful degradation. If archify is absent, deliver the same content through /mermaid-architecture (and /drawio-architecture when editable output is needed). A missing optional engine never blocks the pipeline.
Never bypass the gap-analysis gate. gap-analysis is read-only until the user answers its own pt-BR approval gate. This skill invokes it and reports the outcome; it never pre-approves, answers for the user, or skips the audit silently.
Verify before claiming. Validate Mermaid syntax, .drawio XML, and archify receipts with each engine's own validator before reporting success.

Workflow

Preflight (optional but recommended): run scripts/architecture-doctor.sh for a read-only inventory of docs/architecture/, the next free ADR number, engine availability (mmdc, drawio CLI), and delegated-skill detection (mermaid-architecture, drawio-architecture, gap-analysis, archify).
Classify the request: ADR, design doc, Markdown diagram, editable diagram, or interactive HTML. Multiple deliverables may apply.
ADRs: check the highest existing AD-NNNN number, then write the next one with the template below.
Design docs: populate the matching template from mermaid-architecture/assets/ into docs/architecture/.
Diagrams: route per the table. For code-grounded diagrams, extract evidence first (entry points, DI graph, docker-compose.yml, Helm/Terraform, CI files).
Verify: run each engine's validation step; fix and re-run until green.
Gap audit: invoke /gap-analysis per its own contract — pass the delivery context (SPEC paths, commits, files written under docs/architecture/) so its AS-IS × TO-BE matrix starts warm. Its approval gate decides whether confirmed gaps become Issues; see references/gap-audit-handoff.md.
Report the files written under docs/architecture/ and the audit outcome.

ADR Convention

File name: docs/architecture/AD-NNNN-<kebab-slug>.md (sequential, zero-padded — e.g. AD-0002-postgres-persistence.md).

markdown

# AD-NNNN — <Decision Title>

## Context
[Forces at play: constraints, requirements, prior decisions.]

## Decision
[What was decided and the key alternatives rejected.]

## Consequences
- Positive: [...]
- Trade-off: [...]

## Related SPEC
- [.specs/SPEC-{YYYYMMDD}-{slug}.md](../../.specs/SPEC-{YYYYMMDD}-{slug}.md)

Keep an index of ADRs at the top of docs/architecture/README.md when that file exists; never renumber existing records — supersede them with a new AD.

Archify (optional, interactive HTML diagrams)

archify (github.com/tt-a1i/archify) produces explorable standalone HTML diagrams (inline SVG, dark/light themes, trace motion, PNG/JPEG/WebP/SVG export) from a small typed JSON spec — the right tool when stakeholders need a polished, interactive runtime view rather than a static diagram.

Step 1 — Detect

Check whether the archify skill is already installed in any known skills root:

bash

for d in ./.agents/skills ~/.agents/skills ~/.claude/skills ~/.devin/skills \
         ~/.config/devin/skills ~/.opencode/skills ~/.config/opencode/skills \
         ~/.cursor/skills ~/.copilot/skills ~/.gemini/skills ~/.codex/skills \
         ~/.codeium/windsurf/skills; do
  [ -f "$d/archify/SKILL.md" ] && echo "FOUND: $d/archify"
done

The installed skill is also visible when the agent runtime lists archify among available skills.

Step 2 — Absent means skip (never install)

If not found, do not offer, suggest, or run any installation. Fall back to /mermaid-architecture and continue — a missing optional engine never blocks the pipeline. If the user wants interactive HTML later, they install archify themselves outside this skill's scope.

Step 3 — Generate (only when already installed)

Invoke the installed archify skill with the repository-grounded prompt:

text

Analyze this repository, then use archify to create a high-level runtime architecture diagram.
Show 8–12 core components, one primary path, external dependencies, and trust boundaries.
Put supporting detail in cards instead of adding more edges.

Then follow the archify authoring flow (type architecture, meta.quality_profile: "showcase") and validate/deliver:

bash

node <archify-skill-path>/bin/archify.mjs validate architecture docs/architecture/runtime-architecture.json --quality showcase --json
node <archify-skill-path>/bin/archify.mjs deliver  architecture docs/architecture/runtime-architecture.json docs/architecture/runtime-architecture.html --quality showcase --json

A non-zero exit is never success: fix the diagnosed field and re-run. Store both the candidate spec (.json) and the artifact (.html) under docs/architecture/.

Orchestrator Integration

In the Orchestrator lifecycle (Phase 5 — Verification & QA), /architecture replaces the previous direct calls to /drawio-architecture, /mermaid-architecture, and /gap-analysis — the orchestrator makes a single call and this skill runs the full chain:

/drawio-architecture updates the editable .drawio system diagram (falling back to /mermaid-architecture when headless rendering fails).
/mermaid-architecture generates/updates native Mermaid diagrams and design docs in docs/architecture/.
archify (when installed) produces the interactive runtime-architecture.html.
/gap-analysis runs the final evidence-backed audit — invoked by this skill, never directly by the orchestrator. Its own pt-BR gate decides: approved confirmed gaps flow through create-issues back into the orchestrator's Phase 4 queue (Phase 5 repeats when they finish); declined gaps stay Draft and resurface in Phase 6.
/create-readme then references the generated diagrams in README.md.

When invoked mid-implementation (not only at Phase 5), apply the same routing: new architectural decision → ADR; doc drift → update design docs; structure change → regenerate affected diagrams.

When to Use

Any creation or update of files under docs/architecture/ — ADRs, design docs, diagrams.
The orchestrator reaches the architecture step of Phase 5.
The user asks for an architecture diagram without specifying a format — route by deliverable.
Documenting a significant architectural decision (ADR) mid-implementation.
User asks or mentions this skill in English (e.g., "use /architecture", "update the architecture docs").
O usuário pede ou menciona esta skill em português (ex.: "use /architecture", "atualize a documentação de arquitetura").

When NOT to Use

Architecture code improvements, coupling, or module seams → /improve-codebase-architecture (this skill documents architecture; that one refactors it).
A single, already-specified diagram format → the specialized skill may be invoked directly (/mermaid-architecture, /drawio-architecture), though routing through /architecture is always correct.
A standalone gap audit unrelated to architecture deliverables → /gap-analysis may be invoked directly; inside the pipeline it is always reached through this skill.

Helpers

scripts/architecture-doctor.sh — read-only preflight: docs/architecture/ inventory, next ADR number, engine binaries, and delegated-skill detection.
references/architecture-inventory.md — canonical layout, naming rules, and ADR lifecycle for docs/architecture/.
references/gap-audit-handoff.md — contract for invoking gap-analysis: evidence context, approval gate, outcome mapping, degradation.

References

/mermaid-architecture — Markdown-native diagrams + design doc templates (assets/)
/drawio-architecture — editable .drawio diagrams via MCP or local CLI export
/gap-analysis — final evidence-backed audit, invoked by this skill (see references/gap-audit-handoff.md)
archify — optional third-party interactive HTML diagrams, used only when already installed (https://github.com/tt-a1i/archify)
/scaffold-mvp — creates docs/architecture/ and AD-0001 in new projects
/improve-codebase-architecture — code-level architecture deepening (upstream consumer of these docs)
/create-readme — surfaces the diagrams in README.md