multi-file-architecture

name	multi-file-architecture
description	Orchestrate coordinated changes across entire web application stacks—frontend, backend, database, and config—in single operations. Use when building features that span multiple files, refactoring across layers, or when sequential file-by-file editing would be inefficient.

Multi-File Coherent Architecture

Core Principle

Describe outcomes, not steps. The agent coordinates; you orchestrate.

Outcome-First Patterns

Feature Implementation

❌ "Create a User model, then create a users table migration, then add a /users route, then create a UserList component"

✅ "Add user management: database table, API endpoints for CRUD, and a dashboard component showing all users with edit/delete actions"

Refactoring

❌ Step-by-step file changes

✅ "Rename 'customer' to 'client' across the entire codebase—models, routes, components, and tests"

Orchestration Checklist

Before prompting, identify:

1. Affected layers: Frontend / Backend / Database / Config
2. Data flow: What connects these layers?
3. Constraints: Auth requirements, validation rules, error handling patterns
4. Success criteria: What does "done" look like?

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Instead of...	Try...
"First do X, then Y, then Z"	"I need X, Y, and Z working together"
Specifying file paths	Describing the feature boundary
Dictating implementation	Stating acceptance criteria

Power Move

Combine with test-first-development: "Add user authentication with JWT. Write the tests first, then implement to pass them."

The agent handles the 47 file touches. You define what "authenticated" means.