@tpmjs/tools-decision-record-adr

Create Architecture Decision Records (ADR) from structured input following industry standards.

Installation

npm install @tpmjs/tools-decision-record-adr

Usage

import { decisionRecordADRTool } from '@tpmjs/tools-decision-record-adr';

const result = await decisionRecordADRTool.execute({
  title: 'Use PostgreSQL for primary database',
  context: `We need to choose a database for our new application. Requirements include:
    ACID compliance, strong consistency, support for complex queries, and good TypeScript integration.
    Team has experience with both SQL and NoSQL databases.`,
  decision: `We will use PostgreSQL as our primary database with Prisma as the ORM.
    This provides strong typing, migrations, and excellent developer experience.`,
  consequences: [
    'Better type safety with Prisma client',
    'Strong consistency guarantees for critical data',
    'Team needs to learn Prisma migrations',
    'Increased complexity for horizontal scaling',
    'Excellent JSON support for flexible schemas',
  ],
});

console.log(result.adr);
// # Use PostgreSQL for primary database
//
// **Status:** Accepted
//
// **Date:** 2025-12-31
//
// **Filename:** `use-postgresql-for-primary-database.md`
//
// ## Context
//
// We need to choose a database for our new application...
//
// ## Decision
//
// We will use PostgreSQL as our primary database...
//
// ## Consequences
//
// ### Positive
//
// - Better type safety with Prisma client
// - Strong consistency guarantees for critical data
// - Excellent JSON support for flexible schemas
//
// ### Negative
//
// - Team needs to learn Prisma migrations
// - Increased complexity for horizontal scaling

console.log(result.date);   // '2025-12-31'
console.log(result.status); // 'Accepted'

API

decisionRecordADRTool.execute(input)

Creates an Architecture Decision Record (ADR) following the standard template.

Input

• title (string, required): Title of the decision
• context (string, required): Context and background for the decision
• decision (string, required): The decision that was made
• consequences (string[], required): Array of consequences (positive and negative)

Output

Returns a Promise<DecisionRecord> with:

• adr (string): The formatted ADR in markdown
• date (string): Date the ADR was created (YYYY-MM-DD)
• status (string): Status of the decision (default: "Accepted")

Features

• Standard ADR format: Follows the widely-used ADR template structure
• Smart categorization: Automatically categorizes consequences as positive, negative, or neutral
• Filename generation: Creates a URL-friendly filename from the title
• Markdown output: Returns clean, readable markdown ready for version control
• Date stamping: Automatically includes creation date

ADR Structure

The tool generates ADRs with this structure:

1. Title: Clear, concise decision statement
2. Status: Decision status (Accepted, Proposed, Deprecated, Superseded)
3. Date: When the decision was made
4. Context: Background and forces leading to the decision
5. Decision: What was decided
6. Consequences: Categorized outcomes (positive, negative, other)

Use Cases

• Document architectural decisions in software projects
• Track technical choices and rationale over time
• Share decision context with team members
• Create decision history for future reference
• Support onboarding with decision background

Best Practices

• Write context focusing on why the decision was needed
• State the decision clearly and unambiguously
• List both positive and negative consequences
• Include trade-offs and alternatives considered
• Version control ADRs alongside code

License

MIT