Arch Map

Arch-Map Protocol

Maps an artifact onto architecture elements from an arch_items catalog. Fully automatic — does not ask the user, does not block the task.

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Step 1 — Find platform DB

DB_PATH=$(find {projects_root} -name "platform.sqlite" -path "*/data/platform/*" | head -1)

Not found or empty:

Arch-map: platform.sqlite not found — arch_ref = null

End protocol. Continue task execution.

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Step 2 — Load arch_items

sqlite3 "$DB_PATH" \
  "SELECT item_type, slug, title, description, url, path
   FROM arch_items WHERE path != '' OR title != '';"

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Step 3 — Determine mode and find matches

file-mode (fast-track / pipeline)

Source: files_to_modify from plan-first.

For each file: check whether arch_item.path is a substring of the file path or the file path starts with arch_item.path.

feature-mode (brief / spec)

Source: full text of the artifact.

For each arch_item check: does arch_item.slug, arch_item.title, or arch_item.url appear in the artifact text (case-insensitive).

Collect unique matches. Format: {item_type}/{slug}.

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Step 4 — Show result

Matches found:

Arch-map (file-mode):
  api/billing      → api/billing/    [OK]
  page_front/auth  → src/pages/auth/ [WIP]
arch_ref: api/billing,page_front/auth

No matches:

Arch-map: no matches found — arch_ref = null

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Step 5 — Add arch_ref column (if missing)

sqlite3 {routing_db} \
  "ALTER TABLE artifacts ADD COLUMN arch_ref TEXT;" 2>/dev/null || true

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Step 5.5 — Save result to log

Write {log_dir}/arch-map.md with task, date, mode, full result output, arch_ref value. If {log_dir} unknown — skip without error.

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Step 6 — Merge and write arch_ref

arch_ref not null:

1. Read current: SELECT arch_ref FROM artifacts WHERE id = '{artifact_id}';
2. Combine current + new → split by comma, deduplicate, join back
3. Write: UPDATE artifacts SET arch_ref = '{merged}', updated_at = '{date}' WHERE id = '{artifact_id}';

Artifact not yet in routing DB → hold {arch_ref} as variable for future INSERT.

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Step 7 — Propagate up (file-mode only)

After writing final arch_ref into current artifact — update parents up the chain.

Read epic_id, brief_id, tz_id from task frontmatter or routing DB via links.

For each parent — merge-write with same arch_ref. Unknown parent ID → skip that UPDATE without error.

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Rules

• Never block execution. Any error → arch_ref = null → continue
• Do not ask the user. Everything determined automatically
• Always show the result — one line, even if arch_ref = null
• Merge, not overwrite — always read current arch_ref and combine
• Deduplicate: one item_type/slug only once
• Separator: comma without spaces: api/billing,page_front/auth
• Propagate runs only from file-mode (fast-track / pipeline), not from brief / spec

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Anti-patterns

❌ Overwrite instead of merge

Agent replaces existing archref with new value → history of previous mappings lost. Rule: always read current archref and merge.

❌ Block on missing platform DB

DB not found → agent stops the entire task instead of gracefully setting arch_ref = null. Rule: never block — arch_ref is optional context.

❌ Ask the user which items match

Agent shows candidates and asks user to confirm. Rule: fully automatic. No questions.

❌ Propagate from feature-mode

Feature-mode is for briefs and specs — parents don't exist yet. Propagate only from file-mode where the chain epic → spec → brief is already formed.

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Related skills

• plan-first — provides files_to_modify in file-mode
• brief / tz — invoke arch-map in feature-mode after saving the artifact
• ship-first — records final arch_ref at task closure

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Step 99 — Log invocation

sqlite3 {routing_db} \
  "INSERT INTO skill_invocations (task_id, block_num, skill_name, invoked_at)
   VALUES ('{slug}', '{N}', 'arch-map', datetime('now'))" 2>/dev/null || true

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: bearded-illirian
• Source: bearded-illirian/trailmark
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.