implement-pattern

name	implement-pattern
description	Use when adding a common architecture pattern such as an external integration, queue/worker flow, caching layer, webhook callback, or standard web/API/data stack and you need a safe LikeC4 starting structure.

Apply LikeC4 Common Patterns

Goal

Give a safe starter structure quickly, then tell the user what to substitute with the exact kinds and names from the active workspace.

These are starter scaffolds, not copy-paste truth.

When to Use

• external third-party integration
• async queue/worker processing
• cache in front of a source-of-truth store
• standard web/API/data stack
• notification or webhook patterns

Preconditions

• if exact kinds are unclear, use lookup-element-kinds
• create or adjust the elements with create-element
• create typed arrows with create-relationship

Default response shape

1. name the pattern
2. give one minimal scaffold
3. list the substitutions to make (parent, exact kinds, names, tech)
4. hand off only if the user is moving to timing/views/deployment

Quick pattern map

Pattern	Minimal relationship shape
External integration	api -[calls]-> externalService
Async queue/worker	api -[async]-> queue + worker -[async]-> queue
Cache + source of truth	api -[reads]-> cache + api -[reads]-> database
Web/API/data stack	webapp -[calls]-> api + api -[reads/writes]-> database
Notification flow	api -[async]-> queue + worker -[calls]-> provider

Compact scaffolds

External integration

externalService = System_External 'Third-Party API' {
  technology 'HTTPS API'
  description 'External service used by the platform.'
}

api -[calls]-> externalService 'Processes request' {
  technology 'HTTPS'
}

Async queue/worker

queue = Container_Queue 'Job Queue' {
  technology 'RabbitMQ'
  description 'Buffers asynchronous work.'
}

api -[async]-> queue 'Publishes job' {
  technology 'AMQP'
}

worker -[async]-> queue 'Consumes job' {
  technology 'AMQP'
}

Cache + source of truth

cache = Container 'Redis Cache' {
  technology 'Redis'
  description 'Hot-data cache.'
}

api -[reads]-> cache 'Checks cache'
api -[reads]-> database 'Fetches on cache miss'
api -[writes]-> cache 'Refreshes cache'
api -[writes]-> database 'Persists source-of-truth changes'

Use a more specific declared cache/container kind if the workspace provides one.

Web/API/data stack

webapp = Container_Webapp 'Web App' {
  technology 'React'
  description 'User interface.'
}

api = Container_Api 'API' {
  technology 'Node.js'
  description 'Business logic.'
}

database = Container_Database 'Database' {
  technology 'PostgreSQL'
  description 'Canonical data store.'
}

webapp -[calls]-> api 'Sends API requests'
api -[reads]-> database 'Queries data'
api -[writes]-> database 'Persists changes'

Notification flow

notificationQueue = Container_Queue 'Notification Queue' {
  technology 'RabbitMQ'
  description 'Queues outbound notifications.'
}

notificationWorker = Container 'Notification Worker' {
  technology 'Worker runtime'
  description 'Delivers queued notifications.'
}

provider = System_External 'Notification Provider' {
  technology 'HTTPS API'
  description 'External delivery provider.'
}

api -[async]-> notificationQueue 'Publishes notification job' {
  technology 'AMQP'
}

notificationWorker -[async]-> notificationQueue 'Consumes notification job' {
  technology 'AMQP'
}

notificationWorker -[calls]-> provider 'Delivers notification' {
  technology 'HTTPS'
}

Pattern rules that must survive every scaffold

• async flows are one-way; do not add return calls from workers
• reads/writes are for data access; databases are not generic service calls
• keep the database as source of truth when cache is present
• do not invent undeclared kinds or relationship types
• if callback/webhook order matters, move the temporal story to create-sequence-view

If MCP is unavailable

Use the local shared specs and model files to choose the nearest declared kinds, then provide the scaffold immediately. List the exact substitutions to verify later when tooling is back.

Handoffs

• exact kinds unclear → lookup-element-kinds
• element declarations need cleanup → create-element
• relationship details need tuning → create-relationship
• callbacks, retries, or webhook timing matter → create-sequence-view