initialize-architecture

Initialize Architecture Documentation Task

When to Use

• New Projects: Initialize architecture documentation for greenfield projects
• Missing Documentation: Create missing architecture documents in existing projects
• Architecture Reset: Rebuild architecture documentation structure
• Onboarding: Ensure all architecture documents exist for new team members

What This Skill Does

Creates complete architecture documentation structure from templates:

• Configuration: Reads locations from .prism/core-config.yaml
• Status Check: Detects existing vs missing documents
• Generation: Creates documents from standardized templates
• Indexing: Builds master README with navigation

Prerequisites

• Project root must have .prism/core-config.yaml
• architecture.architectureShardedLocation config (default: docs/architecture)
• Write permissions to create files

Quick Start

1. Run the skill
2. Review existing documentation status
3. Choose mode (create missing or recreate all)
4. Wait for document generation
5. Review generated documents and fill in project-specific details

Output Location: docs/architecture/ (or as configured)

Workflow Steps

Step	Name	Purpose
1	Load Configuration	Read core-config.yaml settings
2	Check Existing	Show status of existing docs
3	Create Directory	Ensure architecture folder exists
4	Generate Documents	Create documents from templates
5	Create Master Index	Build README.md navigation
6	Validate & Complete	Verify files and show next steps

Documents Generated

Document	Purpose
coding-standards.md	Code quality and style guidelines
tech-stack.md	Technologies, frameworks, dependencies
source-tree.md	Code organization and structure
deployment.md	Infrastructure and deployment process
data-model.md	Database schemas and relationships
api-contracts.md	API endpoints and integrations
README.md	Master index and navigation

Modes

• Create Missing: Only generate documents that don't exist
• Recreate All: Regenerate all documents (overwrites existing)
• Cancel: Exit without changes

Reference Documentation

• Document Templates - Detailed templates for each document type

Document Status Indicators

All documents start as Draft and progress through:

• 🔴 Draft - Initial template, needs content
• 🟡 In Progress - Being actively updated
• 🟢 Complete - Reviewed and approved

Next Steps After Initialization

1. 📝 Review each document and fill in project-specific details
2. 🎨 Update status indicators as documents are completed
3. 👥 Assign document owners
4. 📅 Schedule quarterly reviews
5. 🔄 Keep documentation current with architecture changes

Guardrails

• Always verify config is loaded before proceeding
• Check for existing documents to avoid accidental overwrites
• Write files immediately after generation
• Inform user of all files created
• Provide clear next steps for document completion