activememory/ctx/ctx-add-decision

Record an architectural decision in DECISIONS.md.

When to Use

• After resolving a trade-off between alternatives
• When making a non-obvious design choice
• When the "why" behind a choice needs to be preserved

When NOT to Use

• Minor implementation details (use code comments instead)
• Routine maintenance or bug fixes
• When there was no real alternative to consider

Decision Formats

Quick Format (Y-Statement)

"In the context of [situation], facing [constraint], we decided

for [choice] and against [alternatives], to achieve

[benefit], accepting that [trade-off]."

Full Format

Gather: Context, Alternatives, Decision, Rationale, Consequence.

Execution

ctx decision add "Use Cobra for CLI framework" \
  --context "Need CLI framework for Go project" \
  --rationale "Better subcommand support, team familiarity" \
  --consequence "More boilerplate, but clearer command structure"

Quality Checklist

• [ ] Context explains the problem clearly
• [ ] At least one alternative was considered
• [ ] Rationale addresses why alternatives were rejected
• [ ] Consequence includes both benefits and trade-offs