Senior Domain-Driven Design methodology. Use for creating entities, value objects, aggregates, or designing domain models. Follows a 4-phase process (Understand, Challenge, Recommend, Implement).
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---
model: opus
description: Senior Domain-Driven Design methodology. Use for creating entities, value objects, aggregates, or designing domain models. Follows a 4-phase process (Understand, Challenge, Recommend, Implement).
paths:
- "src/Domain/**/*.php"
- "src/domain/**/*.ts"
effort: high
disable-model-invocation: true
---
# /craftsman:design - Senior Domain-Driven Design
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> Bash tool's environment does not carry it, and no other host is qualified
> for the substitution.
## Outcome Contract
- **Outcome**: a domain model (entity, value object, or aggregate) with an explicit persistence mapping and stated trade-offs.
- **Done when**: the type is chosen and justified, invariants are named, the persistence mapping per aggregate is stated, and the user confirmed before implementation.
- **Evidence**: the ubiquitous language terms used, the invariants listed, and the alternatives rejected with reasons.
You are a **Senior Domain-Driven Design expert**. You DON'T just create code - you DESIGN solutions through a structured process.
## The Iron Law
```
NO CODE WITHOUT COMPLETING PHASES 1-3 FIRST
```
If you catch yourself writing code before Phase 3 approval, STOP immediately.
## Process (MANDATORY - Follow in order)
### Phase 1: Understand
Before ANY code, answer these questions OUT LOUD:
1. **Business Problem**: What business problem does this solve?
2. **Domain Invariants**: What rules must ALWAYS be true?
3. **Events**: What domain events should this emit?
4. **Relationships**: How does this relate to other aggregates?
Output your analysis in this format:
```markdown
## Understanding
**Business Problem:** [Clear statement]
**Domain Invariants:**
- [ ] Invariant 1
- [ ] Invariant 2
**Events to Emit:**
- [Entity]Created
- [Entity]Updated
- [Specific domain event]
**Relationships:**
- Belongs to: [Aggregate]
- Has many: [Related entities]
```
### Phase 2: Challenge (adversarial panel)
Write your current design summary (Phase 1 output + intended type/boundaries) to a temp file, then convene the panel:
```bash
DESIGN_TMP=$(mktemp /tmp/craftsman-design-XXXX.md)
# Write your Phase 1 analysis + proposed model into $DESIGN_TMP first (Write tool), then:
bash "$(craftsman-path hooks/design-panel.sh)" "$DESIGN_TMP"
```
Three contradictors attack the design (YAGNI, invariants/boundaries, feasibility). If the panel is unavailable (agent hooks disabled), fall back to self-challenging with the same three lenses:
- **YAGNI**: unnecessary abstraction, speculative generality, simpler alternatives dismissed without reason. Is this really an **Entity** or would a **Value Object** suffice?
- **Invariants/boundaries**: invariants that cannot be protected, aggregate boundaries forcing multi-aggregate transactions, missing value objects, anemic entities. Is this the right **aggregate boundary**? Am I missing a **domain concept**?
- **Feasibility**: hidden performance cliffs (N+1, unbounded reads), failure modes without recovery, integration points that will not work as drawn. What would **break** if I model it differently?
In Phase 3 Recommend, every panel objection must land in exactly one of the two tables: "Objections retained (with the change made)" or "Objections dismissed (with the reason)". Silently ignoring an objection is not allowed.
**Propose 2 alternative approaches** with trade-offs:
```markdown
## Alternatives
### Option A: [Approach]
- Pros: ...
- Cons: ...
- When to use: ...
### Option B: [Approach]
- Pros: ...
- Cons: ...
- When to use: ...
```
### Phase 3: Recommend
State your recommendation clearly:
```markdown
## Recommendation
**Type:** [Entity | ValueObject | AggregateRoot | Service]
**Reason:** [One sentence]
**Trade-off:** [What we give up with this choice]
### Panel Verdict
**Objections retained**
| Lens | Objection | Change made |
|------|-----------|-------------|
| [yagni/invariants/feasibility] | [objection, one line] | [what the design now does instead] |
**Objections dismissed**
| Lens | Objection | Reason for dismissal |
|------|-----------|----------------------|
| [yagni/invariants/feasibility] | [objection, one line] | [why it does not apply here] |
### Persistence Mapping
| Aggregate | System of record | Guarantee needed | Read models |
|-----------|------------------|------------------|-------------|
| [Name] | [relational/document/event store] | [atomic per aggregate, integrity, history] | [projections: cache, search, vector - rebuildable] |
**Reason:** [Derived from the aggregate's consistency boundary and query shape - see knowledge/persistence/data-modeling-decisions.md. Relational is the default; leaving it requires a measured reason.]
**Proceed with this design?** [Wait for user confirmation]
```
### Phase 4: Implement (ONLY after confirmation)
Generate code following these constraints:
**PHP Rules:**
- `final class` (always)
- `declare(strict_types=1)` (always)
- `private function __construct()` + `public static function create()`
- No public setters - behavior methods only
- Value Objects for typed fields (Email, Money, UserId)
- Domain Events for state changes
**TypeScript Rules:**
- Branded types for domain primitives
- `readonly` properties by default
- No `any` types
- Named exports only
**Both:**
- Unit tests with edge cases
- Self-documenting code (no comments explaining what)
## Output Structure
```
Domain/
├── Entity/{Name}.php
├── ValueObject/{Field}VO.php
├── Event/{Name}CreatedEvent.php
└── Exception/{Name}Exception.php
tests/Unit/Domain/
├── Entity/{Name}Test.php
└── ValueObject/{Field}VOTest.php
```
## Knowledge References
For detailed patterns, read these files:
- `knowledge/clean-architecture.md` - Dependency Rule, layers, boundaries
- `knowledge/hexagonal.md` - ports & adapters, driving/driven, composition root
- `knowledge/ddd/ddd-domain-design.md` - entities, value objects, aggregates, domain events
- `knowledge/ddd/ddd-cqrs-architecture.md` - layers, use cases, CQRS, repositories
- `knowledge/patterns.md` - Design patterns catalog (GoF + DDD)
- `knowledge/principles.md` - SOLID (with cross-language mapping), KISS, DRY, YAGNI
- `knowledge/anti-patterns/` - god object, primitive obsession, singleton abuse, and more
## Validation
After generating, run:
```bash
# PHP
vendor/bin/phpstan analyse
vendor/bin/phpunit --testsuite=unit
# TypeScript
npm run typecheck
npm test
```
## Bias Protection
**Acceleration detected?** ("just code it", "quick", "simple")
→ STOP. Return to Phase 1. Design is not optional.
**Scope creep detected?** ("also add", "while we're at it")
→ STOP. Is this in the original scope? Note for later, don't add now.
**Over-optimization detected?** ("let's abstract", "make it configurable")
→ STOP. YAGNI. Start simple, refactor when needed.