# Nw Architectural Styles Tradeoffs

Architectural style selection decision matrices, trade-off analysis, structural...

- Repository: https://github.com/nWave-ai/nWave (628 stars)
- Category: Engineering
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-09-16
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add nWave-ai/nWave --skill nw-architectural-styles-tradeoffs -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add nWave-ai/nWave --skill nw-architectural-styles-tradeoffs -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add nWave-ai/nWave --skill nw-architectural-styles-tradeoffs -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add nWave-ai/nWave --skill nw-architectural-styles-tradeoffs -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add nWave-ai/nWave`

## Description

Architectural style selection decision matrices, trade-off analysis, structural enforcement rules, and combination patterns. Load when choosing or evaluating architecture styles.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Architectural Styles: Selection and Trade-offs

## Style Selection Decision Tree

Start here. Answer the dominant driver, follow to recommended style.

```
Is the domain complex with rich business rules?
  YES -> Do you need infrastructure independence and high testability?
    YES -> Hexagonal / Clean / Onion (functionally equivalent, different terminology)
    NO  -> Is the domain well-understood with clear module boundaries?
      YES -> Modular Monolith (single deployment, structured boundaries)
      NO  -> Layered Architecture (simple, well-known, fast to start)
  NO -> Is this a feature-heavy application with independent feature teams?
    YES -> Vertical Slice (per-feature organization, CQRS-friendly)
    NO  -> Do you need independent deployment and scaling per capability?
      YES -> Can the team handle distributed system operational complexity?
        YES -> Microservices
        NO  -> Modular Monolith (extract to services later)
      NO  -> Is the primary concern async workflows or event-driven processing?
        YES -> Event-Driven Architecture
        NO  -> Is this a data processing pipeline?
          YES -> Pipe and Filter
          NO  -> Layered Architecture (sensible default)
```

## Cross-Cutting Comparison Matrix

The rest: https://github.com/nWave-ai/nWave/blob/HEAD/nWave/skills/nw-architectural-styles-tradeoffs/SKILL.md