State Manager

State File: .arch/state.json

This file is the single source of truth for project progress. ALWAYS read it before responding to any architecture query. NEVER rely on conversation memory for phase state. ALWAYS update it after every state change.

Reading State

• Parse the JSON file
• Check current_phase to know where we are
• Check phase-specific status fields for detail
• For Phase 2, check sub_phase and individual acceptance flags (pattern_accepted, components_overview_accepted, cross_cutting_accepted)
• For Phase 3, check components object for per-component status
• Check reopens.count and reopens.max for reopen availability

Example – read state (pseudocode; use the Read tool, not code execution):

state = Read(".arch/state.json") → parse JSON
current_phase = state["current_phase"]

Valid Phase Transitions

not_started → evaluation     (when /analyze-prd runs)
evaluation → methodology     (when Phase 1 is accepted)
methodology → components     (when Phase 2 is fully accepted: pattern + components + cross-cutting)
components → finalization    (when ALL components accepted)

Backward transitions are ONLY allowed via /reopen (max 2 per project).

Phase 2 Sub-Phases

pattern → components_overview → cross_cutting

Each sub-phase is accepted independently via /accept. All three must be accepted for Phase 2 to be complete.

Component Status Values

pending → in_progress        (when /design-component starts)
in_progress → awaiting_acceptance  (when design is presented)
awaiting_acceptance → accepted     (when user accepts)
awaiting_acceptance → in_progress  (when user refines)
needs-review → in_progress         (after a reopen cascades)

Updating State

When updating state.json:

1. Read current state
2. Validate the transition is legal
3. Write the updated state
4. Increment decision_count if a decision was made

Example – validate and write state (pseudocode; use Read/Write tools, not code execution):

VALID_TRANSITIONS = {
  "not_started" → ["evaluation"],
  "evaluation"  → ["methodology"],
  "methodology" → ["components"],
  "components"  → ["finalization"],
}

state = Read(".arch/state.json") → parse JSON
current = state["current_phase"]

if new_phase not in VALID_TRANSITIONS[current]:
  # Invalid transition: do NOT write state.
  # Report the error to the user and stop.
  raise error: "Invalid transition: '{current}' → '{new_phase}'"

state["current_phase"] = new_phase
state["decision_count"] += 1
Write(".arch/state.json", JSON.stringify(state, indent=2))

If validation fails:

• Do not write any changes to state.json.
• Inform the user of the current phase and the valid next transitions.
• If a backward transition is needed, direct the user to use /reopen (subject to reopens.count < reopens.max).
• Log a warning entry in decisions.md under category Process if the invalid attempt was user-initiated.

Decision Log: .arch/decisions.md

Append-only file. Never edit previous entries. Format:

### [DEC-NNN] Phase X | Category
- **Decision:** [What was decided]
- **Rationale:** [Why this choice]
- **Alternatives:** [What else was considered]
- **Trade-offs:** [What was sacrificed]
- **Risk:** [Any residual risk]
- **Supersedes:** [DEC-NNN — only if this replaces a previous decision]
- **References:** [FR-NNN, DEC-NNN — only if tracing to requirements or cross-cutting decisions]
- **Date:** [ISO timestamp]

Categories: Requirements | Pattern | Technology | Integration | Security | Infrastructure | Process | Reopen

Supersedes and References are optional. Omit the line entirely when not applicable.

Supersession and Traceability Fields

Supersedes — Use when a decision replaces a previous one:

• /reopen creates a new decision that supersedes the original acceptance decision for the reopened target
• /alternative creates a new decision that supersedes the previous proposal's decision
• Format: **Supersedes:** DEC-003 (single reference) or **Supersedes:** DEC-003, DEC-007 (multiple)
• NEVER edit the superseded entry — the new entry points backward (like RFC "Obsoletes:" fields)

References — Use when a decision traces to requirements or earlier decisions:

• Phase 3 component technology decisions should reference the FR-NNN requirements they satisfy
• Phase 3 component decisions should reference applicable DEC-NNN cross-cutting decisions from Phase 2C
• Phase 2 acceptance decisions should reference the FR-NNN requirements that drove the pattern choice
• Refinement decisions should reference the DEC-NNN of the original proposal being refined
• Format: **References:** FR-001, FR-003, DEC-005

Example — supersession (reopen scenario):

### [DEC-012] Phase 2A | Reopen
- **Decision:** Reopened architecture pattern selection
- **Rationale:** New compliance requirement invalidates serverless approach
- **Alternatives:** Could have added compliance layer on top of existing pattern
- **Trade-offs:** Progress reset on 5 items
- **Risk:** Reopens remaining: 1 of 2
- **Supersedes:** DEC-004
- **Date:** 2026-03-11T14:00:00Z

Example — traceability (component design):

### [DEC-015] Phase 3 | Technology
- **Decision:** Selected PostgreSQL 16 for order-service data store
- **Rationale:** ACID compliance required for financial transactions; team has production experience
- **Alternatives:** MongoDB 7 (flexible schema but lacks native ACID), CockroachDB 24 (distributed but overkill)
- **Trade-offs:** Schema migrations required; less flexibility than document store
- **Risk:** Single-node bottleneck if order volume exceeds 50K TPS
- **References:** FR-003, FR-012, DEC-008, DEC-009
- **Date:** 2026-03-11T15:30:00Z

Example – append a decision entry (pseudocode; use the Edit/Write tool to append, not code execution):

entry = """
### [DEC-001] Phase 1 | Pattern
- **Decision:** Adopt hexagonal architecture
- **Rationale:** Decouples domain from infrastructure
- **Alternatives:** Layered monolith
- **Trade-offs:** Higher initial complexity
- **Risk:** Team familiarity required
- **Date:** 2024-06-01T10:00:00Z
"""
Append entry to ".arch/decisions.md" using Write tool

Automatic Logging Events

Log a decision entry for:

• Phase acceptance
• Phase transition
• Sub-phase acceptance (2A, 2B, 2C)
• Technology selection (per component)
• Refinement requests (what changed and why)
• Alternative requests (what was replaced)
• Review findings (significant concerns raised)
• Reopen operations (with cascade details)