| 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:
- Affected layers: Frontend / Backend / Database / Config
- Data flow: What connects these layers?
- Constraints: Auth requirements, validation rules, error handling patterns
- 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.
