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adr-check

Check a code change against the repo's Accepted Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) in handbook/engineering/decisions/ and report violations with citations. Use before opening a PR, when reviewing a diff, or when the user asks to check ADR compliance, whether changes follow the architecture decisions, or to verify a change against the ADRs.

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polarsource/polar
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September 17, 2026 at 08:58
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name
adr-check
description
Check a code change against the repo's Accepted Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) in handbook/engineering/decisions/ and report violations with citations. Use before opening a PR, when reviewing a diff, or when the user asks to check ADR compliance, whether changes follow the architecture decisions, or to verify a change against the ADRs.
license
MIT
metadata
{"author":"polar","version":"1.0.0"}
# ADR Compliance Checker (Polar) The handle is the **diff**. The evidence is a short report of **which Accepted ADRs the change touches and where it breaks them**. This is the ADR analogue of [`verifier-web`](../verifier-web/SKILL.md): that skill replays UI changes, this one reviews a change against the recorded architecture decisions. ADRs live in `handbook/engineering/decisions/`. Treat every ADR whose Status is **Accepted** as binding. ## When to use - Before opening a PR, or while reviewing one. - When the user asks to "check the ADRs", "does this follow our decisions", or "verify against the architecture decisions". - As one dimension of a broader review, alongside `/polar-code-review`. ## How to run ### 1. Get the change Prefer the branch diff; fall back to the working tree. ```bash git diff --name-only main...HEAD # committed on this branch git diff --name-only # unstaged git diff --name-only --staged # staged ``` This assumes the branch targets `main` (the default). If the PR targets another branch, diff against that base instead. Then read the actual hunks for the changed files (`git diff main...HEAD -- <file>`). ### 2. Load the ADRs (dynamically, never hardcode the list) ```bash ls handbook/engineering/decisions/[0-9]*.mdx ``` Read each one. For every ADR with **Status: Accepted**, extract its **Decision** (the rule) and its **Area** (Backend, Frontend, Infra, or Cross-cutting). Apply an ADR only to files in its Area: a frontend ADR does not apply to `server/`, and vice versa. Reading the ADRs each run keeps the check current as ADRs are added, edited or superseded. ### 3. Check each relevant ADR against the diff For each Accepted ADR whose Area matches a changed file, read its Decision and Consequences and derive the violation signature from them: the Decision states the rule, and the Consequences often spell out the "must" and the failure it prevents. Then look for that signature in the changed hunks (grep for the concrete identifiers the ADR names, and read the surrounding code). Don't rely on a signature list kept here: it would drift from the ADRs. The ADR text is the source of truth. ### 4. Report Be terse. Do not narrate which ADRs you checked, list applicable/not-applicable ADRs, or explain your process. - **No violations**: reply with exactly `No violations` and nothing else. - **Violations found**: list them most severe first. For each, reference the ADR (id and title) and the violation: the `file:line`, one line on what breaks the rule, and the fix. This skill reviews and reports. It does not edit code; fixes are a follow-up.
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