clean-architecture▌
pproenca/dot-skills · updated May 12, 2026
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42 Clean Architecture rules organized by priority for designing maintainable, testable software systems.
- ›Covers 8 rule categories from dependency direction and entity design (critical) through testing architecture (low-medium), each with specific guidance and code examples
- ›Dependency rules enforce inward-pointing dependencies, interface ownership, and acyclic component graphs to prevent architectural decay
- ›Entity and use case rules isolate business logic from frameworks, persistence,
Clean Architecture Best Practices
Comprehensive guide to Clean Architecture principles for designing maintainable, testable software systems. Based on Robert C. Martin's "Clean Architecture: A Craftsman's Guide to Software Structure and Design." Contains 42 rules across 8 categories, prioritized by architectural impact.
When to Apply
Reference these guidelines when:
- Designing new software systems or modules
- Structuring dependencies between layers
- Defining boundaries between business logic and infrastructure
- Reviewing code for architectural violations
- Refactoring coupled systems toward cleaner structure
Rule Categories by Priority
| Priority | Category | Impact | Prefix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dependency Direction | CRITICAL | dep- |
| 2 | Entity Design | CRITICAL | entity- |
| 3 | Use Case Isolation | HIGH | usecase- |
| 4 | Component Cohesion | HIGH | comp- |
| 5 | Boundary Definition | MEDIUM-HIGH | bound- |
| 6 | Interface Adapters | MEDIUM | adapt- |
| 7 | Framework Isolation | MEDIUM | frame- |
| 8 | Testing Architecture | LOW-MEDIUM | test- |
Quick Reference
1. Dependency Direction (CRITICAL)
dep-inward-only- Source dependencies point inward onlydep-interface-ownership- Interfaces belong to clients not implementersdep-no-framework-imports- Avoid framework imports in inner layersdep-data-crossing-boundaries- Use simple data structures across boundariesdep-acyclic-dependencies- Eliminate cyclic dependencies between componentsdep-stable-abstractions- Depend on stable abstractions not volatile concretions
2. Entity Design (CRITICAL)
entity-pure-business-rules- Entities contain only enterprise business rulesentity-no-persistence-awareness- Entities must not know how they are persistedentity-encapsulate-invariants- Encapsulate business invariants within entitiesentity-value-objects- Use value objects for domain conceptsentity-rich-not-anemic- Build rich domain models not anemic data structures
3. Use Case Isolation (HIGH)
usecase-single-responsibility- Each use case has one reason to changeusecase-input-output-ports- Define input and output ports for use casesusecase-orchestrates-not-implements- Use cases orchestrate entities not implement business rulesusecase-no-presentation-logic- Use cases must not contain presentation logicusecase-explicit-dependencies- Declare all dependencies explicitly in constructorusecase-transaction-boundary- Use case defines the transaction boundary
4. Component Cohesion (HIGH)
comp-screaming-architecture- Structure should scream the domain not the frameworkcomp-common-closure- Group classes that change togethercomp-common-reuse- Avoid forcing clients to depend on unused codecomp-reuse-release-equivalence- Release components as cohesive unitscomp-stable-dependencies- Depend in the direction of stability
5. Boundary Definition (MEDIUM-HIGH)
bound-humble-object- Use humble objects at architectural boundariesbound-partial-boundaries- Use partial boundaries when full separation is prematurebound-boundary-cost-awareness- Weigh boundary cost against ignorance costbound-main-component- Treat main as a plugin to the applicationbound-defer-decisions- Defer framework and database decisionsbound-service-internal-architecture- Services must have internal clean architecture
6. Interface Adapters (MEDIUM)
adapt-controller-thin- Keep controllers thinadapt-presenter-formats- Presenters format data for the viewadapt-gateway-abstraction- Gateways hide external system detailsadapt-mapper-translation- Use mappers to translate between layersadapt-anti-corruption-layer- Build anti-corruption layers for external systems
7. Framework Isolation (MEDIUM)
frame-domain-purity- Domain layer has zero framework dependenciesframe-orm-in-infrastructure- Keep ORM usage in infrastructure layerframe-web-in-infrastructure- Web framework concerns stay in interface layerframe-di-container-edge- Dependency injection containers live at the edgeframe-logging-abstraction- Abstract logging behind domain interfaces
8. Testing Architecture (LOW-MEDIUM)
test-tests-are-architecture- Tests are part of the system architecturetest-testable-design- Design for testability from the starttest-layer-isolation- Test each layer in isolationtest-boundary-verification- Verify architectural boundaries with tests
How to Use
Read individual reference files for detailed explanations and code examples:
- Section definitions - Category structure and impact levels
- Rule template - Template for adding new rules
Reference Files
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| references/_sections.md | Category definitions and ordering |
| assets/templates/_template.md | Template for new rules |
| metadata.json | Version and reference information |
How to use clean-architecture on Cursor
AI-first code editor with Composer
Prerequisites
Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:
- ›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
- ›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with
node --version) - ›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add clean-architecture
Execute installation command
Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
The skills CLI fetches clean-architecture from GitHub repository pproenca/dot-skills and configures it for Cursor.
Select Cursor when prompted
The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:
Verify installation
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
Reload or restart Cursor to activate clean-architecture. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /clean-architecture) or your agent's skill management interface.
Security & Verification Notice
We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.
Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.
List & Monetize Your Skill
Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning
Use Cases▌
User Story & Requirements Generation
Create detailed user stories, acceptance criteria, and feature specs
Example
Generate user stories for 'password reset feature' with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and test scenarios
Reduce spec writing time by 50%, ensure comprehensive coverage
Competitive Analysis
Research competitors, compare features, identify gaps
Example
Analyze 5 competitor products, create feature comparison matrix, suggest differentiation opportunities
Complete competitive research in 2 hours instead of 2 days
Roadmap Prioritization
Evaluate features using frameworks (RICE, ICE, Kano) and create prioritized backlogs
Example
Score 20 feature ideas using RICE framework, generate prioritized roadmap with rationale
Make data-driven prioritization decisions faster
Stakeholder Communication
Draft PRDs, status updates, and stakeholder presentations
Example
Create executive summary of Q3 roadmap, monthly progress report, feature launch announcement
Save 3-5 hours/week on communication overhead
Implementation Guide▌
Prerequisites
- ›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client
- ›Access to product documentation and roadmap tools (Jira, Notion, etc.)
- ›Understanding of product management frameworks (RICE, Jobs-to-be-Done, etc.)
- ›Stakeholder contact information and communication channels
Time Estimate
30-60 minutes to see productivity improvements
Installation Steps
- 1.Install product management skill
- 2.Start with user story generation for known feature
- 3.Progress to competitive analysis: research 2-3 competitors
- 4.Use for roadmap prioritization: apply RICE/ICE scoring
- 5.Draft stakeholder communications and refine based on feedback
- 6.Build template library for recurring PM tasks
- 7.Share effective prompts with product team
Common Pitfalls
- ⚠Not validating competitive research—verify facts before sharing
- ⚠Accepting user stories without involving engineering team
- ⚠Over-relying on frameworks without qualitative judgment
- ⚠Not customizing outputs to company culture and communication style
- ⚠Skipping stakeholder validation of generated requirements
Best Practices▌
✓ Do
- +Validate research and competitive analysis with real data
- +Collaborate with engineering when generating technical requirements
- +Customize frameworks and templates to your company context
- +Use skill for first drafts, refine with stakeholder input
- +Document successful prompt patterns for PM tasks
- +Combine AI efficiency with human judgment and intuition
✗ Don't
- −Don't publish competitive analysis without fact-checking
- −Don't finalize user stories without engineering review
- −Don't make prioritization decisions solely on AI scoring
- −Don't skip customer validation of generated requirements
- −Don't ignore company-specific context and culture
💡 Pro Tips
- ★Provide context: company goals, constraints, customer feedback
- ★Ask for alternatives: 'Show 3 ways to prioritize this roadmap'
- ★Request stakeholder-specific formatting: 'Executive summary vs. engineering spec'
- ★Use skill for 70% generation + 30% customization to company needs
When to Use This▌
✓ Use When
Use for user story writing, competitive research, roadmap prioritization, stakeholder communication, and PRD drafting. Best for reducing repetitive documentation and research work.
✗ Avoid When
Avoid for strategic product vision (requires deep customer empathy), pricing decisions (needs market and financial expertise), or when face-to-face customer discovery is more valuable than speed.
Learning Path▌
- 1Basic: user stories, feature specs, status updates
- 2Intermediate: competitive analysis, prioritization frameworks, PRDs
- 3Advanced: product strategy, go-to-market planning, OKR setting
- 4Expert: product vision, market positioning, business model innovation
Discussion
Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)- No comments yet — start the thread.
Ratings
4.7★★★★★65 reviews- ★★★★★Diego Thomas· Dec 28, 2024
clean-architecture is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
- ★★★★★Kiara Zhang· Dec 28, 2024
clean-architecture fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.
- ★★★★★Daniel Ndlovu· Dec 8, 2024
clean-architecture fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.
- ★★★★★Kiara Yang· Dec 4, 2024
clean-architecture reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
- ★★★★★Rahul Santra· Nov 27, 2024
clean-architecture fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.
- ★★★★★Diego Anderson· Nov 23, 2024
Registry listing for clean-architecture matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.
- ★★★★★Kiara Chen· Nov 19, 2024
Keeps context tight: clean-architecture is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
- ★★★★★Kiara Menon· Nov 19, 2024
clean-architecture has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Advait Diallo· Nov 15, 2024
clean-architecture fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.
- ★★★★★Pratham Ware· Oct 18, 2024
clean-architecture has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
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