fenix-skills/skills/improve-codebase-architecture/REFERENCE.md

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# Reference
## Dependency Categories
When assessing a candidate for deepening, classify its dependencies:
### 1. In-process
Pure computation, in-memory state, no I/O. Always deepenable — just merge the modules and test directly.
### 2. Local-substitutable
Dependencies that have local test stand-ins (e.g., PGLite for Postgres, in-memory filesystem). Deepenable if the test substitute exists. The deepened module is tested with the local stand-in running in the test suite.
### 3. Remote but owned (Ports & Adapters)
Your own services across a network boundary (microservices, internal APIs). Define a port (interface) at the module boundary. The deep module owns the logic; the transport is injected. Tests use an in-memory adapter. Production uses the real HTTP/gRPC/queue adapter.
Recommendation shape: "Define a shared interface (port), implement an HTTP adapter for production and an in-memory adapter for testing, so the logic can be tested as one deep module even though it's deployed across a network boundary."
### 4. True external (Mock)
Third-party services (Stripe, Twilio, etc.) you don't control. Mock at the boundary. The deepened module takes the external dependency as an injected port, and tests provide a mock implementation.
## Testing Strategy
The core principle: **replace, don't layer.**
- Old unit tests on shallow modules are waste once boundary tests exist — delete them
- Write new tests at the deepened module's interface boundary
- Tests assert on observable outcomes through the public interface, not internal state
- Tests should survive internal refactors — they describe behavior, not implementation
## Issue Template
<issue-template>
## Problem
Describe the architectural friction:
- Which modules are shallow and tightly coupled
- What integration risk exists in the seams between them
- Why this makes the codebase harder to navigate and maintain
## Proposed Interface
The chosen interface design:
- Interface signature (types, methods, params)
- Usage example showing how callers use it
- What complexity it hides internally
## Dependency Strategy
Which category applies and how dependencies are handled:
- **In-process**: merged directly
- **Local-substitutable**: tested with [specific stand-in]
- **Ports & adapters**: port definition, production adapter, test adapter
- **Mock**: mock boundary for external services
## Testing Strategy
- **New boundary tests to write**: describe the behaviors to verify at the interface
- **Old tests to delete**: list the shallow module tests that become redundant
- **Test environment needs**: any local stand-ins or adapters required
## Implementation Recommendations
Durable architectural guidance that is NOT coupled to current file paths:
- What the module should own (responsibilities)
- What it should hide (implementation details)
- What it should expose (the interface contract)
- How callers should migrate to the new interface
</issue-template>