Archify

Archify

Create a self-contained, interactive HTML diagram from a small typed JSON specification. Static output is the default; enable motion only when the user asks for a demo or presentation.

Fast authoring path

Use this bounded path for ordinary generation. Do not read the optional Viewer Runtime reference unless the user asks about those features.

• Choose architecture, workflow, sequence, dataflow, or lifecycle from the question.
• Read one matching schema in schemas/, schemas/common.schema.json, and one matching JSON example in examples/. Read only those files. Fresh authorship means new stable IDs, domain wording, and layout; use the example for field shape, not facts.
• Artifact first: the next tool action must write the candidate. Write the candidate before inspecting renderer internals. Do not plan exact coordinates in prose. Start with one clear main path, short side branches, sparse labels, and at most 12 primary nodes. Set meta.quality_profile to "showcase" unless the user explicitly requests a dense standard map. Start with automatic routes and labels. Do not add via, channelX, channelY, or labelAt before a diagnostic calls for one; apply at most one diagnosed geometry control per repair.
• Validate after every candidate edit and immediately before handoff:

   node bin/archify.mjs validate <type> <candidate.json> --quality showcase --json

A receipt with only 4 artifact checks is basic validation, never showcase acceptance. A showcase pass must report all 9 artifact checks with 0 composition errors and 0 warnings. If the candidate omits or misspells the exact meta.quality_profile field, fix it before geometry. A passing final validation freezes the candidate: never edit it afterward.

• For a delivered HTML, deliver is the final acceptance command:

   node bin/archify.mjs deliver <type> <candidate.json> <output.html> --quality showcase --json

A non-zero exit can never be described as success. If validation fails, change only the diagnosed subject, verify evidence, choose from supportedFixes, and rerun. Continue focused correction while the objective error count reaches a new minimum. If two consecutive rounds do not improve that best count, stop and report the unresolved diagnostics truthfully.

Do not read renderers/shared/geometry.mjs, renderer source, validator source, tests, or benchmarks before the first candidate. Inspect implementation only for an unsupported internal diagnostic or after two focused repairs fail.

Lifecycle note: phase columns 0..4 occupy the main rail; event/outcome columns 0..2 align beneath later phases. A recoverable state uses type: "failure" plus a real transition back to the active state.

Type router

| Type | Use for |

|---|---|

| architecture | Components, services, cloud/security boundaries, infrastructure |

| workflow | Processes, approval gates, tool calls, runbooks, CI/CD |

| sequence | API call chains, request lifecycles, async traces, returns |

| dataflow | Pipelines, ETL/ELT, lineage, governance, consumers |

| lifecycle | State/status transitions, retries, waiting and terminal states |

When ambiguous, run node bin/archify.mjs guide "<scenario>" --json. Scenario proof examples are structural references, not facts to copy.

Mermaid input

Read Mermaid for topology and meaning, then author fresh Archify JSON; do not mechanically render Mermaid styling.

• flowchart / graph → workflow, or architecture for a component map.
• sequenceDiagram → sequence; participants become semantic participants and arrows become messages.
• stateDiagram → lifecycle; states and transitions retain meaning, not Mermaid style.

Authoring invariants

• One obvious main path; side branches leave the nearest main-path node. Remove low-value edges before adding routing controls.
• Omit meta.legend for the truthful auto default. When needed, use only mode: auto|all|hidden and renderer-supported entries.<kind>.label|visible; labels never change semantics.
• Component types are frontend, backend, database, cloud, security, messagebus, and external; variants are default, emphasis, security, and dashed.
• Spacing means clear gap, not center distance. For a relationship label, clear gap must exceed its measured mask width; otherwise omit the label or move it deliberately.
• Automatic routes own their endpoint sides. A side is a direction contract: the first and final segment must leave/enter perpendicular to that side.
• Automatic Port Spread is a default renderer behavior for architecture, workflow, data-flow, and lifecycle. It skips single relationships and explicit via, channelX, channelY, labelAt, or non-auto routes. Near parallel ports use an outside bridge so automatic routing cannot create a sub-8px segment or sub-16px interior turn.
• Never accept an edge crossing an unrelated opaque node, an ambiguous shared corridor, or a relationship label masking another route.

Read references/authoring-contract.md only when you need field enums, spacing math, geometry repair rules, repository evidence, or mode-specific placement.

Delivery

Use validate during repair and deliver once for final acceptance. Delivery freezes the exact specification bytes into a private same-directory snapshot, renders and checks that snapshot, atomically commits the HTML, and reports SHA-256 plus byte counts for both specification and artifact.

Add --open only when the user wants an immediate local preview. For an active desktop authoring loop, the optional command is:

node bin/archify.mjs preview <type> <input>.json <output>.html --quality showcase

Never start preview by default. Read references/delivery-contract.md when using preview, repository evidence, export receipts, visual review, or post-commit opening.

Optional viewer capabilities

Generated HTML already contains theme switching, pan/zoom, search, focus, relationship tracing, semantic views, presentation, and truthful exports. These are reader capabilities, not extra authoring work. meta.animation: "trace" is opt-in; meta.views is optional and should contain at most five curated chapters.

Read references/viewer-runtime.md only when the user explicitly asks for Share Cards, Route/Reach cards, motion, guided stories, deep links, presentation, search/focus, or another Viewer Runtime feature.

Setup and fallback

No install is required inside the skill package. Verify with:

node bin/archify.mjs doctor
node bin/archify.mjs demo <output-directory>

When shell access is unavailable, hand-place architecture SVG into assets/template.html, use CSS semantic classes rather than inline colors, and follow the visual review contract in references/delivery-contract.md.

Output

Return the checked HTML path, diagram type, validation summary, specification/artifact receipt, and truthful visual-review status. Do not claim success for a non-zero command or claim visual inspection you did not perform.