| name | kubit-researching-prior-art |
| description | Use when designing new subsystem, comparing implementation approaches, or user asks how other frameworks handle something. Use when researching Laravel, Rails, AdonisJS, Inertia.js, or similar framework patterns. |
Researching Prior Art for Kubit
Overview
When designing subsystems, research how established frameworks solve the same problem. Capture findings in docs/BRAINDUMP.md or the relevant RFC.
When to Use
- Designing new subsystem (Auth, Validation, etc.)
- User asks "how does Laravel/Rails do X?"
- Comparing implementation approaches
- Need to justify design decisions
Frameworks to Reference
| Framework | Strong Areas |
|---|
| Laravel | Eloquent ORM, Queue, Mail, Auth, Blade |
| AdonisJS | TypeScript patterns, decorators, Lucid ORM |
| Rails | ActiveRecord, conventions, generators |
| Inertia.js | SPA protocol, React SSR, forms |
| Remix/Next | React SSR, data loading, routing |
Research Questions
When studying a pattern:
- What's the public API? (method signatures, config)
- What conventions are enforced?
- What's the mental model? (how users think about it)
- What are the extension points?
- What do users complain about? (learn from mistakes)
Capture Location
| Scope | Where to capture |
|---|
| General philosophy | docs/BRAINDUMP.md |
| Specific subsystem research | Relevant RFC |
| Design decision | SPEC.md Decision Log |
Research Template
## [Subsystem] Prior Art
### Laravel
- API: `Mail::to($user)->send(new OrderShipped($order))`
- Conventions: Mailables as classes, queued by default
- Extension: Custom transports via driver config
### AdonisJS
- API: Similar but TypeScript-native
- Conventions: Decorators for metadata
### Key Insights
- [What to adopt]
- [What to avoid]
- [Kubit-specific adaptation needed]
Common Patterns Across Frameworks
Class-based entities: Controllers, Models, Jobs, Mailables are classes
Decorators/Annotations: Metadata on properties and methods
Convention over configuration: Sensible defaults, override when needed
Fluent APIs: Method chaining for configuration
DI containers: Automatic dependency resolution
