architecture-decision-records

An architecture decision record (ADR) is a structured document that captures the context, decision, alternatives, and consequences of architectural choices. Documenting rationale prevents knowledge loss and conflicting implementations across project teams.

To write an ADR for technology evaluation, create a document with a title, date, status, and context. Fill in sections for Context, Decision, Alternatives, Rationale, and Consequences using a standardized template to ensure decision-history traceability.

You should create an architecture decision record for significant architectural choices like technology evaluation, pattern selection, and architecture evolution. Keep the ADR scope focused on these decisions and link related ADRs for traceable consequences.

Yes, ADR documentation supports cross-team collaboration by making rationale accessible to engineers, product managers, and stakeholders. It provides decision-history traceability to track changes over time and reason about architecture evolution across projects.

A standardized ADR template requires sections for Context, Decision, Alternatives, Rationale, and Consequences. These sections capture architectural decisions, trade-offs, and rationales while ensuring traceable consequences and decision-history traceability across projects.

ADRs focus on significant architectural choices like pattern selection and technology evaluation, so minor decisions may not warrant documentation. Scope must be kept focused to maintain decision-history traceability and prevent knowledge loss without creating excessive overhead.