Architectural Patterns

Architecture Patterns Reference

Clean Architecture

Concentric layers with dependencies pointing inward. Business rules at the core, externalities at the edges.

Layer Breakdown

Outer → Inner:
  Frameworks & Drivers  (DB, web framework, UI)
  Interface Adapters     (controllers, presenters, gateways)
  Application Business   (use cases / interactors)
  Enterprise Business    (entities, domain objects)

Canonical Directory Layout

project/
├── domain/              # Entities, value objects, domain errors
│   ├── entities/
│   └── value_objects/
├── usecases/            # Application-specific business rules
│   ├── create_order.go  # One file per use case (or grouped by aggregate)
│   └── ports/           # Interfaces that use cases depend on
│       ├── repository.go
│       └── notifier.go
├── adapters/            # Concrete implementations of ports
│   ├── postgres/
│   ├── http/
│   └── email/
└── main.go              # Composition root / wiring

Key Rules

• Domain layer has ZERO imports from outer layers
• Use cases define port interfaces; adapters implement them
• Data crosses boundaries as plain structs/DTOs, never ORM models
• The composition root (main) is the only place that knows all concrete types

When to Apply

• Complex domain logic that must survive framework changes
• Teams that need strict boundary enforcement
• Long-lived products where tech stack may evolve

Common Mistakes

• Leaking ORM types into use cases
• "Pass-through" use cases that just delegate to a repository (indicates anemic domain)
• Creating ports for things that never change (over-abstraction)

Hexagonal Architecture

The application is a hexagon. Left side: driving adapters (things that call your app). Right side: driven adapters (things your app calls). Ports define the boundary contracts.

Structure

project/
├── domain/
│   ├── model/           # Aggregates, entities, value objects
│   └── services/        # Domain services (stateless logic across aggregates)
├── ports/
│   ├── inbound/         # Interfaces the outside world calls (use cases)
│   └── outbound/        # Interfaces the domain calls (repos, messaging)
├── adapters/
│   ├── inbound/         # HTTP handlers, CLI, gRPC, message consumers
│   └── outbound/        # Postgres repo, S3 client, SMTP sender
└── config/              # Wiring / DI / app bootstrap

Key Rules

• Ports are interfaces owned by the domain side
• Adapters are plug-and-play: swap Postgres for DynamoDB by writing a new adapter
• Inbound adapters translate external input → domain commands
• Outbound adapters translate domain calls → infrastructure operations

When to Apply

• Systems needing tech-swap flexibility (e.g., multi-cloud, DB migration)
• Integration-heavy services with many external dependencies
• Microservices where each service has clear inbound/outbound boundaries

Modular Monolith

A single deployable with internal modules that have explicit boundaries. Each module encapsulates its own domain, data, and services. Modules communicate through public APIs, not by reaching into each other's internals.

Structure

project/
├── modules/
│   ├── users/
│   │   ├── api.go           # Public module interface (exported functions/types)
│   │   ├── internal/        # Private to this module
│   │   │   ├── service.go
│   │   │   ├── repository.go
│   │   │   └── model.go
│   │   └── events.go        # Events this module publishes
│   ├── billing/
│   │   ├── api.go
│   │   ├── internal/
│   │   └── events.go
│   └── scheduling/
│       ├── api.go
│       ├── internal/
│       └── events.go
├── shared/                  # Truly shared utilities (logging, errors, config)
└── main.go                  # Wires modules together

Key Rules

• Modules NEVER import another module's internal/ package
• Cross-module communication uses the public api.go or events
• Each module can own its own DB schema/tables (logical separation, physical co-location)
• The shared package is minimal: only genuinely cross-cutting concerns

When to Apply

• Growing monolith that needs structure before (or instead of) splitting into microservices
• Small teams that don't want distributed system complexity
• Products where feature boundaries are clear but deployment should remain simple

Migration Path to Microservices

• Module boundaries become service boundaries
• Public APIs become RPC/HTTP contracts
• Events become messages on a broker

Vertical Slice Architecture

Organize by feature/behavior, not by technical layer. Each slice contains everything needed to handle one operation end-to-end.

Structure

project/
├── features/
│   ├── create_order/
│   │   ├── handler.go       # HTTP/gRPC handler
│   │   ├── command.go       # Request DTO
│   │   ├── logic.go         # Business rules for this operation
│   │   ├── repository.go    # Data access for this operation
│   │   └── tests/
│   ├── get_order/
│   │   ├── handler.go
│   │   ├── query.go
│   │   ├── logic.go
│   │   └── tests/
│   └── cancel_order/
├── shared/                  # Cross-cutting: middleware, DB connection, auth
└── main.go

Key Rules

• Each slice is self-contained: handler → logic → data access
• Duplication across slices is acceptable (prefer isolation over DRY across features)
• Shared code is minimal and genuinely cross-cutting
• New features = new directories, not modifications to existing layers

When to Apply

• CRUD-heavy applications with many independent operations
• Teams where different people own different features
• Codebases where layer-based organization led to shotgun surgery

Feature-Sliced Design

Primarily used in frontend applications. Organizes code into layers (app, pages, features, entities, shared) with strict import rules.

Structure

src/
├── app/                     # App-wide setup: providers, routing, global styles
├── pages/                   # Page-level composition (routes → features)
├── widgets/                 # Composite UI blocks used across pages
├── features/                # User-facing interactions (each self-contained)
│   ├── auth/
│   │   ├── ui/
│   │   ├── model/
│   │   └── api/
│   └── checkout/
├── entities/                # Business entities (user, product, order)
│   ├── user/
│   │   ├── ui/
│   │   ├── model/
│   │   └── api/
│   └── product/
└── shared/                  # UI kit, libs, utilities, configs

Import Rules

• Layers can only import from layers below them
• app → pages → widgets → features → entities → shared
• No upward imports, no cross-imports at the same layer

When to Apply

• Frontend-heavy SPAs (React, Vue, Angular)
• Large teams needing strict import discipline
• Products where UI features evolve independently

Selection Guidance

Combining Patterns

Patterns are not mutually exclusive. Common combinations:

• Modular Monolith + Clean Architecture within each module
• Vertical Slice + Hexagonal ports for integration-heavy slices
• Feature-Sliced Design (frontend) + Hexagonal (backend) for full-stack apps

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