| name | using-arch-compiler |
| description | Use when starting architecture work and you need to decide whether to compile/finalise architecture or implement an already-approved architecture. |
| tags | ["architecture","workflow-routing","agent-harness","governance"] |
| version | 1.0.2 |
| metadata | {"hermes":{"tags":["architecture-harness","harness-engineering","ai-governance","architecture-as-code","developer-tools"],"category":"devops","requires_toolsets":["terminal"]}} |
Using Architecture Compiler
Read This First
Before doing anything else:
- Read
AGENTS.md.
- Treat
tools/, schemas/, config/, and patterns/ as read-only unless the human explicitly asked for compiler-maintenance work in this repo.
- Decide whether the task is about architecture selection or architecture implementation.
Routing Rule
Use skills/compiling-architecture/SKILL.md when:
- the user wants to turn requirements into architecture decisions
- the user wants to write or refine a spec
- the user wants to compile, recompile, inspect pattern selection, or finalise an architecture
- the user has an existing prototype or codebase and needs to compile, validate, or re-approve the architecture it should converge to
docs/architecture/ does not exist yet
docs/architecture/architecture.yaml is missing approval
- implementation planning or coding exposes unresolved provider/runtime/auth/retention/message-path decisions
- any later decision would change
constraints.*, constraints.saas-providers, top-level patterns.*, or accepted risk posture
- the user wants existing prototype choices to replace approved providers, boundaries, or selected patterns
Use skills/implementing-architecture/SKILL.md when:
docs/architecture/architecture.yaml exists
- it is approved
- the task is to write code that follows that architecture
- the task is to refactor an existing prototype or codebase so it conforms to the approved architecture
- provider/runtime bindings are already concrete enough that coding will not silently replace the approved contract
Hard Stops
- If the full Architecture Compiler repo is not installed in a stable local path, stop and install it before routing further. Installing only copied skill files is not enough; the workflows depend on
tools/, schemas/, config/, and patterns/.
- If no application repo exists yet, do not write app architecture artifacts into the compiler repo.
- If an implementation task lacks approved architecture, stop and switch to the compiling skill.
- If planning starts under the implementing skill and reveals unresolved architecture-binding choices, stop and route back to the compiling skill before more planning or coding.
- If a previously approved architecture is recompiled or materially changed, treat the old approval as invalid until the human re-approves the new output.
- If the user is asking to change compiler behavior or the pattern registry itself, this is compiler-maintenance work, not normal skill usage.
Output
After choosing, explicitly say which of the two skills you are using and why.