clean-architecture

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---
name: clean-architecture
description: 'Structure software around the Dependency Rule: source code dependencies point inward from frameworks to use cases to entities. Use when the user mentions "architecture layers", "dependency rule", "ports and adapters (hexagonal)", "onion architecture", "screaming architecture", "where should business logic go", "decouple from the database", "swap the framework without a rewrite", or "keep business rules independent". Also trigger when deciding which layer code belongs in, isolating core logic from infrastructure, defining module boundaries, or debating whether the framework should call your code or the reverse. Covers component principles, boundaries, and SOLID. For code-level quality, see clean-code. For domain modeling, see domain-driven-design.'
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: wondelai
  version: "1.4.0"
---

# Clean Architecture Framework

A disciplined approach to structuring software so that business rules remain independent of frameworks, databases, and delivery mechanisms. Apply these principles when designing system architecture, reviewing module boundaries, or advising on dependency management.

## Core Principle

**Source code dependencies must point inward — toward higher-level policies.** Nothing in an inner circle can know anything about an outer circle. This single rule produces systems that are testable and independent of frameworks, UI, database, and any external agency. Business rules are what matter; databases, web frameworks, and delivery mechanisms are details — when details depend on policies, you can defer decisions, swap implementations, and test business logic in isolation.

## Scoring

**Goal: 10/10.** Score one point for each of the seven Quick Diagnostic rows the architecture satisfies (0-7), then map to a 0-10 band: 6-7 satisfied = **9-10** (Dependency Rule holds, business logic is framework- and DB-independent); 4-5 = **6-8** (core is testable but some details leak inward); 2-3 = **3-5** (framework or persistence dictates structure); 0-1 = **0-2** (no boundaries — business rules live in controllers and ORM models). Report the score, the failed diagnostic rows, and the specific inversion needed to fix each.

### 1. Dependency Rule and Concentric Circles

**Core concept:** Organize the architecture as concentric circles — Entities (enterprise business rules) innermost, then Use Cases (application business rules), then Interface Adapters, with Frameworks and Drivers outermost. Source code dependencies always point inward.

**Why it works:** When high-level policies don't depend on low-level details, you can swap the database, web framework, or API style without touching business logic — the system becomes resilient to the most volatile parts of the stack.

**Key insights:**
- Inner circles cannot mention outer circle names — no classes, functions, variables, or data formats from outside
- Data crossing a boundary must be in the form most convenient for the inner circle, never dictated by the outer
- Dependency Inversion (interfaces defined inward, implemented outward) is the mechanism that enforces the rule
- The number of circles is not fixed — four is typical; the rule stays the same
- Frameworks are details, not architecture — they belong in the outermost circle

**Code applications:**

| Context | Pattern | Example |
|---------|---------|---------|
| **Layer direction** | Inner circles define interfaces; outer implement | `UserRepository` interface in Use Cases; `PostgresUserRepository` in Adapters |
| **Data crossing** | DTOs cross boundaries, not ORM entities | Use Case returns `UserResponse` DTO, not an ActiveRecord model |
| **Dependency direction** | Import arrows always point inward | Controller imports Use Case; Use Case never imports Controller |

See [references/dependency-rule.md](references/dependency-rule.md) when an inner-circle import points outward and you need the four-circle code walkthrough, the data-crossing rules, and the four-step de