thedixitjain /archcore:decide
Record a decision or a proposal for one. Routes between:
- Finalized decision → ADR (optionally followed by rule + guide as a standard, or spec + plan as an architecture cascade)
- Open proposal → RFC (for team review before a decision is made)
When to use
- "Record the decision to use PostgreSQL"
- "We decided to go with microservices"
- "Document why we chose JWT over sessions"
- "Make this our team standard for error handling"
- "Draft an RFC for switching from REST to gRPC"
- "Proposing we adopt feature flags"
- "Should we move to Kubernetes?" (open → RFC)
Not decide:
- Planning a feature →
/archcore:plan - Documenting a component →
/archcore:capture - Reading applicable rules/ADRs/specs before coding →
/archcore:context - Picking up where work left off →
/archcore:context
Routing table
| Signal | Route | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| User describes a finalized decision (default) | → adr | Single ADR |
| User describes an open proposal ("thinking about", "should we", "proposing") | → rfc | Single RFC |
| User says "and make it a standard" or implies enforcement | → adr + standard cascade | ADR, then offer rule + guide |
| User says "and formalize the contract", or the decision establishes or changes a boundary contract (API, interface, schema, protocol) | → adr + architecture cascade | ADR, then offer spec + plan |
Default for finalized decisions: create a single ADR. After creation, evaluate the decision and offer the matching continuation per skills/decide/references/continuations.md.
Execution
Step 1: Check existing
mcp__archcore__list_documents(types=["adr", "rfc"]) — check for existing decisions or proposals on this topic.
If a match is a global document (global: true / read_only: true / source_kind: "global"), load skills/_shared/globals.md: globals are read-only org-wide defaults. Record the decision as a local ADR/RFC (which refines or overrides the global); never modify it or call add_relation referencing the global (this applies to Step 4 relation-wiring as well). Absent any global match, proceed as usual.
Step 2: Route
If user language suggests the decision is still open ("thinking about", "should we", "proposing", "design proposal"), confirm with the user: "This sounds like an open proposal — draft an RFC for team review?" If yes, proceed to Step 3b. Otherwise continue with Step 3 (ADR).
Step 3: Create ADR (finalized decision path)
- Read
skills/_shared/precision-rules.mdandskills/_shared/adr-contract.mdonce before composing. The contract specifies required structure; the rules specify forbidden lexicon and authoring conventions. - Ask: "What was the decision (specific choice with version/name)? What alternatives were considered, and why was each rejected? What conditions would invalidate this decision?"
- Compose ADR content per the contract: fill Context with one concrete trigger and a code/measurement reference (or
[assumption]if forward-looking), Decision in one specific sentence, Alternatives Considered with ≥2 named items each carrying an explicit rejection reason, Consequences split into positive + tradeoff with falsifiable claims (or[expected]), and Superseded when with ≥2 measurable conditions when feasible. Avoid forbidden lexicon from the rules. mcp__archcore__create_document(type="adr")
Then continue to Step 4.
Step 3b: Create RFC (open proposal path)
- Ask: "What change are you proposing? What problem does it solve?"
- Compose content covering Summary, Motivation, Detailed Design, Drawbacks, Alternatives.
mcp__archcore__create_document(type="rfc")- Suggest relations: rfc
extendsexisting ADR (if revising a past decision), or rfcrelatedidea (if an idea inspired it).
RFC flow ends here — no rule + guide continuation (those belong to finalized decisions).
Step 4: Relate (ADR path)
mcp__archcore__add_relation — link the ADR to existing RFCs, specs, plans, or other relevant documents.
Step 5: Offer continuation (ADR path only)
Read skills/decide/references/continuations.md. Evaluate the decision content for the signal phrases listed there and offer the matching cascade:
- Standard cascade — rule + guide (decision describes enforceable behavior).
- Architecture cascade — spec + plan (decision establishes or changes a boundary contract — API, interface, schema, protocol — that other code depends on).
- Both signals present — ask the user which fits better, or neither for now.
- Neither signal — do not offer; the ADR alone is a valid endpoint.
Always confirm with the user before creating additional documents. Follow the per-cascade composition and relation rules in continuations.md exactly.
Result
Minimum: one ADR or one RFC. Maximum: ADR + rule + guide (standard cascade) or ADR + spec + plan (architecture cascade). Report: paths, relations, recommended next actions.
Source: hashgraph-online/awesome-codex-plugins → plugins/archcore-ai/plugin/skills/decide/SKILL.md