workbench-architecture

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Architecture and ADR workflows for Workbench CLI. Use when documenting system design, decisions, tradeoffs, or rationale that must be tracked over time.

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[Architecture Design]

When & Why to Use This Skill

The workbench-architecture skill streamlines the creation and management of system architecture documentation and Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) within the Workbench CLI. It empowers engineering teams to systematically track design intent, technical trade-offs, and decision rationales, ensuring that critical system knowledge is preserved and easily accessible throughout the software development lifecycle.

Use Cases

  • System Design Planning: Create structured architecture documents during the initial design phase to define subsystem boundaries and technical scope.
  • Architecture Decision Records (ADR): Document significant technical choices, including the context and consequences, to maintain a historical record of why specific paths were taken.
  • Traceability Mapping: Link specific ADRs and design docs to work items (tasks) and product specifications to provide developers with immediate context for their assignments.
  • Documentation Maintenance: Use the sync functionality to maintain consistent backlinks and update the status of decisions (e.g., superseded or deprecated) as the system evolves.
nameworkbench-architecture
descriptionArchitecture and ADR workflows for Workbench CLI. Use when documenting system design, decisions, tradeoffs, or rationale that must be tracked over time.

Key settings

  • .workbench/config.json: paths.docsRoot, git.defaultBaseBranch.
  • Use workbench config show --format json to confirm defaults.

Core workflows

  1. Planning phase: create architecture docs for design intent and scope.
  2. When a decision is made or changes, create or update an ADR.
  3. Link ADRs and architecture docs to work items and specs.

Commands

Create an architecture doc:

workbench doc new --type doc --title "Subsystem overview" --path docs/20-architecture/subsystem-overview.md --work-item TASK-0001

Create an ADR:

workbench doc new --type adr --title "Decision title" --path docs/40-decisions/ADR-YYYY-MM-DD-title.md --work-item TASK-0001

Link existing docs to a work item:

workbench item link TASK-0001 --spec /docs/10-product/spec.md --adr /docs/40-decisions/ADR-YYYY-MM-DD-title.md

Sync backlinks:

workbench doc sync --all

Output

  • Architecture docs and ADRs with consistent front matter.
  • Work items that reference related specs and ADRs.

Guardrails

  • Use ADRs for decisions, architecture docs for structure and flows.
  • Keep ADR status updated (proposed, accepted, superseded, deprecated).
  • If an ADR does not exist for a significant decision, create one.