c3-component-design

Component documentation in C3 architecture requires detailing configuration, dependencies, and implementation specifics while enforcing a diagram-first approach. Start by verifying the component aligns with its parent container, then generate documentation with frontmatter, contract, interface diagram, hand-offs table, conventions table, and edge-cases table to standardize technical details.

Leaf-level component documentation must include frontmatter, parent container contract, a required interface diagram, hand-offs table describing external interactions, conventions table for patterns and standards, and edge-cases table for error handling and boundary conditions. This standardized structure ensures precision and architectural alignment.

Component verification loads constraints from both the parent container and context layers to ensure alignment. During component exploration, confirm the component is listed in its parent, validate its nature (resource integration, business logic, or framework entrypoint), and cross-check configuration against inherited architectural requirements.

Document generic patterns and flows rather than exhaustive implementation details to maintain documentation longevity. Focus on configuration behavior, error handling, and usage patterns that remain stable over time, while deferring code-specific details that change frequently.

Use a critical decision framework to assess whether a change is truly contained within the component or affects the container or context layers. If the change impacts technology stack alignment, cross-cutting concerns, or parent constraints, escalate; otherwise, document it as a contained component modification.

Component nature determines documentation focus: resource integration components detail external system connections and configuration; business logic components emphasize decision flows and error handling; framework entrypoint components highlight initialization, dependencies injection, and lifecycle management. Identifying the component type tailors documentation specificity.