architecture-decision-records

To document architectural decisions, capture the context, rejected alternatives, rationale, and consequences in a standardized ADR document. This prevents context loss across informal communication channels like Slack threads and PR comments, ensuring future developers understand the codebase structure.

Tracking technology selection trade-offs is best handled by automatically detecting architectural decision moments during planning or code review sessions. This generates standardized Michael Nygard format ADRs that record rejected options and final rationale for team reference.

Create a searchable index of architecture pattern choices by maintaining a living ADR directory in your docs/adr folder. This records infrastructure decisions and API design choices, providing quick reference when team members ask why a specific framework was chosen.

Yes, this ADR generation format works for API design and infrastructure decisions. It applies standardized documentation to capture trade-offs across coding, planning, and code review workflows, ensuring all architectural decisions are consistently recorded.

Architecture decision records are needed because informal communication channels like Slack threads and PR comments lose context over time. ADRs capture the rationale and consequences of software architecture choices, preventing team memory loss and future developer confusion.

Lightweight ADR documents may not be suitable when architectural decisions lack clear alternatives or trade-offs. This format relies on documenting rejected options and rationale, so decisions made without significant context or evaluation might not benefit from this standardized structure.