adr-writer

ADR Writer

When to use

• A non-trivial architecture decision was just made
• Reverse-documenting a decision that wasn't recorded but should have been
• Preparing for a design review

When NOT to use

• Trivial choices (naming, formatting)
• Operational runbooks (those go to runbooks/)
• Product decisions without architectural impact

Inputs

Name	Type	Required	Notes
context	string	yes	The problem being solved, in 2–4 sentences
options	list	yes	Alternatives considered
decision	string	yes	Chosen path
number	int	no	If omitted, finds next ADR number from memory/decisions/

Outputs

A file at memory/decisions/ADR-NNNN-<slug>.md matching the ADR template.

Workflow

1. Find the next ADR number (or use number input)
2. Slugify the decision's main subject
3. Fill the template:
   • Context, Decision, Alternatives, Consequences (positive + negative)
   • Status: accepted (default), proposed, superseded by ADR-XXXX
4. Write to memory/decisions/ADR-NNNN-<slug>.md
5. Add a one-line entry to MEMORY.md#decisions

References

• ../../../templates/ADR.md.template
• ../../../design_docs/adr_guide.md

Success criteria

• Each alternative has a one-line "why not"
• Consequences include at least one negative
• File name matches ADR-\d{4}-[a-z0-9-]+\.md

Failure modes

• Decision is actually a bundle of decisions → split into multiple ADRs
• Context is unclear → ask user for clarification, don't fabricate