Ix architecture

ix-claude-plugin shared model

Argument parsing

Strip --save and any following path token from $ARGUMENTS before processing the scope.

• If --save <path> is present, set SAVE_PATH to that path.
• If --save is present without a path, auto-generate ix-architecture-<scope-slug>.md in cwd (scope slug = $ARGUMENTS with spaces and slashes replaced by -, or repo if arguments are empty).
• If --save is absent, SAVE_PATH is empty — do not write a file.

Health gate

Before anything else, run:

command -v ix
ix status

If either fails, stop: "ix graph unavailable — run ix connect or check your connection."

Then verify the graph has data:

ix subsystems --list --format llm

If the result is empty or returns an error, stop: "No graph data yet — run ix map to build the graph first."

Pro check

ix briefing --format json 2>&1

If it returns JSON with a revision field, Pro is available. Note recentDecisions for use below. Skip all [Pro] steps if it errors.

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Phase 1 — Subsystem structure

ix subsystems --format llm

Filter results to $ARGUMENTS scope if provided (match on subsystem name or path prefix). Store the full output as SUBSYSTEMS.

Early-stop gate: Examine each region's metrics. If ALL of the following are true across every region:

• cohesion > 0.7
• coupling < 0.4
• crosscut_score ≤ 0.1 (or field absent)
• confidence ≥ 0.6

→ Report "System appears structurally healthy — no significant coupling, cohesion, or crosscutting issues detected." List subsystems with their metrics and stop. Do not proceed to Phase 2.

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Phase 2 — Smell analysis

ix smells --format llm

Filter to scope if $ARGUMENTS was provided. Store as SMELLS.

Health gate — choose one path:

Inline path (all must be true):

• Smell count < 3
• No god-module smell present
• No smell has crosscut_score > 0.1

→ Synthesize the report inline using SUBSYSTEMS + SMELLS. Proceed to Phase 3 only if needed (see below). Skip delegation.

Delegate path (any is true):

• Smell count ≥ 3
• A god-module smell is present
• Any smell has crosscut_score > 0.1

→ Spawn the ix-architecture-auditor agent. Pass SUBSYSTEMS and SMELLS directly in the agent prompt so it can skip its own Steps 1–4 (subsystem + smell collection). Include the scope from $ARGUMENTS. Relay the agent's complete output to the user, then skip to the [Pro] Cross-reference decisions step.

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Phase 3 — Hotspot ranking (inline path only)

Run ix rank only if at least one of the following is true:

• A god-module smell exists in SMELLS (even on the inline path)
• Any region in SUBSYSTEMS has coupling > 0.5

ix rank --by dependents --kind class --top 10 --exclude-path test --format llm

Identify the top-ranked components that overlap with smell findings or high-coupling regions. Include these as hotspots in the inline report.

If neither condition is met, skip ix rank entirely.

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Inline report format

When taking the inline path, produce:

Summary — one sentence verdict on overall health.

Subsystem overview — table of regions with cohesion, coupling, crosscut_score.

Smells — list each smell with affected symbol and severity.

Hotspots — (if Phase 3 ran) top-ranked components that coincide with smells or high-coupling regions.

Recommended action — one concrete next step.

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[Pro] Cross-reference decisions

If Pro is available, after the report (inline or delegated) is complete:

ix decisions --format json

Append a Recorded Decisions section cross-referencing relevant design decisions against the findings — especially decisions that affect god-modules, high-coupling regions, or identified hotspots.

Save step

Only if SAVE_PATH is non-empty (i.e., --save was passed):

• Write the full output above to SAVE_PATH using the Write tool.
• Confirm to the user: Saved to <SAVE_PATH>.
• Do not write the file if --save was not passed.