FAQ

FAQ

Is this just ADRs (Architecture Decision Records)?

ADRs are one piece — CoherenceOps is the full loop. ADRs don't track assumptions with expiry dates, don't detect drift, don't score health, and don't enforce via CI. CoherenceOps DLRs are richer than ADRs and are embedded in a governance system.

Do I need GitHub Actions for this to work?

No. v0.1 is entirely manual — folders, templates, and one-click links. GitHub Actions enforcement is planned for v0.2 but is optional.

What if we don't have "major" PRs?

Then you have zero DLR overhead. CoherenceOps only adds process to major decisions. Minor PRs are untouched.

How do I define "core architecture folders"?

That's up to your team. Common choices: src/core/, infrastructure/, db/migrations/. Configure via ARCHITECTURE_PATHS in the future .coherenceops.yml.

What if an assumption expires and nobody notices?

That's what Policy Gates prevents — it blocks merges when an active assumption has passed its expiry date. Until CI is set up, schedule a monthly review of assumptions.yaml.

Can I use this with a monorepo?

Yes. Place coherence/ at the repo root. DLRs, assumptions, and drift signals are flat-numbered and global to the repo.

How long does it take to create a DLR?

5-10 minutes. The template is pre-filled via the one-click link. Most of the time is spent thinking about trade-offs and rollback — which you should be doing anyway.

What's the "why retrieval" metric?

Time a new team member with a stopwatch: give them a feature and ask "why was this built this way?" If they can find the DLR in under 60 seconds, you're hitting the target.

Can I rename the modules?

Yes. IntelOps, ReOps, FranOps, DriftOps are conceptual names. The folder names (intel/, decisions/, canon/, drift/) are what matter for tooling.