arch-upkeep

arch-upkeep is a meta architecture skill for keeping existing projects aligned with the canonical starter stacks:

• arch-tsdown-monorepo — pnpm monorepo for TS libs with tsdown per package
• arch-tsdown — single-package TS library with tsdown
• arch-tsdown-cli — CLI apps built on tsdown
• arch-unplugin — libraries built as unplugin (Vite/Rollup/Webpack/ESBuild)
• arch-webext-vue — browser extensions using Vue
• arch-vscode — VS Code extensions

Use this skill when a project already exists and you want to:

• Identify what architecture it currently matches (lib / CLI / monorepo / webext / vscode / unplugin / mixed)
• Plan a migration to one of the canonical arch-* starters
• Incrementally upgrade tooling, scripts, and CI without rewriting app logic

This skill does not re-specify each architecture in detail — it helps you pick which arch-skill to apply and in what order.

Quick start

1. Classify the repo using the checks in 1. Detect current architecture.
2. Map to target skills using 2. Choose the target architecture skill(s).
3. Ensure required arch-* skills are installed via 2.1 Check & install required skills.
4. Plan incremental migration using 3. Migration strategy (incremental) and 4. Architecture-specific notes.
5. Run an upkeep pass with the checklist in 5. Checklist: running an “arch upkeep” on a repo.

1. Detect current architecture

Start by classifying the repo. Use these quick heuristics (you can apply multiple, projects may be “monorepo + CLI” etc.):

• Monorepo (arch-tsdown-monorepo candidate)

  • Has pnpm-workspace.yaml or packages/*, apps/*, or similar layout
  • Multiple package.json files under packages/ or apps/
  • Shared tooling at root (eslint.config.*, vitest.config.*, tsconfig.base.json, etc.)

• Single TS library (arch-tsdown candidate)

  • Single package.json at root
  • Library-style exports (main, module, types, maybe exports)
  • No bin entrypoint, no browser manifest, no VS Code extension manifest

• CLI (arch-tsdown-cli candidate)

  • Root package.json with "bin" or "package.json#exports" pointing to CLI entry
  • Uses #!/usr/bin/env node in entry file
  • Often depends on cac, commander, yargs, etc.

• unplugin-based library (arch-unplugin candidate)

  • Depends on unplugin
  • Exports createUnplugin, or has files under src/core/, src/vite.ts, src/webpack.ts, etc.
  • Targets bundlers (Vite/Rollup/Webpack/ESBuild)

• Browser extension + Vue (arch-webext-vue candidate)

  • Has manifest.json/manifest.v3.json (Chrome/Firefox extension)
  • Vue SPA for popup/options or content scripts
  • Build tooling around web extension dev (web-ext, wxt, or custom scripts)

• VS Code extension (arch-vscode candidate)

  • Has package.json with "contributes", "activationEvents", "engines.vscode"
  • src/extension.ts or similar activation entry

Once you know what it “mostly is”, pick one primary architecture as the upgrade target. If the repo is mixed (e.g. monorepo with a CLI package), pair arch-tsdown-monorepo with the relevant per-package skill (arch-tsdown, arch-tsdown-cli, etc.).

2. Choose the target architecture skill(s)

Map your classification to the canonical skills:

• pnpm multi-package repo → start with arch-tsdown-monorepo
• Single TS library → arch-tsdown
• CLI (single or inside a monorepo package) → arch-tsdown-cli
• unplugin lib → arch-unplugin (often inside an arch-tsdown or monorepo setup)
• Browser extension + Vue → arch-webext-vue (app layer) plus arch-tsdown for any shared libs
• VS Code extension → arch-vscode (extension app) plus arch-tsdown for shared libs

Then:

1. Open the corresponding arch-* skill(s).
2. Use their “overview” / “core” references as the target design you want your existing repo to converge to.
3. Plan an incremental migration: configs and scripts first, CI next, then release automation.

2.1 Check & install required skills

Because arch-upkeep is only an orchestrator, it expects the concrete arch-* skills to be installed and usable in the agent environment.

Recommended flow:

1. List installed skills in your agent runtime

   • Use your platform’s “list skills” command / UI (for example, look for arch-tsdown-monorepo, arch-tsdown, arch-tsdown-cli, arch-unplugin, arch-webext-vue, arch-vscode).
   • If a target architecture skill is already present, you can call it directly.

2. If a required skill is missing, install it by name

   • From the Agent Skills catalog (or your platform’s marketplace), search for the exact name, e.g. arch-tsdown-monorepo.
   • Install it into the current agent profile / workspace.

3. Verify installation before proceeding

   • Re-run the “list skills” view and confirm the skill appears and is enabled.
   • Optionally open its SKILL.md (or skill details in UI) to confirm version and scope.

4. Compose multiple skills in one upkeep session

   • For monorepo + CLI: use arch-tsdown-monorepo + arch-tsdown-cli on the CLI package, and arch-tsdown for shared libs.
   • For VS Code extension with shared libs: use arch-vscode for the extension host + arch-tsdown for shared modules.
   • For web extension + shared TS libs: use arch-webext-vue for the extension app + arch-tsdown for the reusable packages.

Only after the relevant skills are installed and verified should you start applying the migration steps below.

3. Migration strategy (incremental)

General principles:

• Do not rewrite app logic. Only swap out infrastructure (build, test, lint, CI, release).
• One layer at a time. Avoid changing bundler, test runner, and tsconfig all in a single PR if you can split it.
• Keep Git history readable. Separate commits for “tooling move” vs “code fixes”.

Recommended order:

1. Normalize package layout

   • For monorepos: align packages/* layout, root package.json, workspace ranges, pnpm catalogs as per arch-tsdown-monorepo.
   • For single packages: align folder structure (src/, dist/, tests/), tsconfig names, etc. with arch-tsdown.

2. Migrate build to tsdown (where applicable)

   • Replace legacy build scripts (tsc, rollup, tsup, etc.) with tsdown configs from the target skill.
   • Ensure package.json#exports, main/module/types, and files fields match the target pattern.

3. Align testing and linting

   • Move to the recommended test runner (Vitest) and ESLint setup from the relevant arch skill.
   • For monorepos, centralize configs at root with per-package overrides where needed.

4. Synchronize scripts

   • Standardize on the script names from the target architecture (build, dev, test, lint, typecheck, release, etc.).
   • For monorepos, prefer root scripts using pnpm -r or pnpm --filter.

5. Upgrade CI and release

   • Adopt the GitHub Actions / release workflows from the relevant arch skills.
   • If applicable, migrate to npm Trusted Publisher, tag-based release, and bumpp or similar.

6. Clean up

   • Remove obsolete configs, scripts, and unused devDependencies once the new pipeline is green.

4. Architecture-specific notes

• When targeting arch-tsdown-monorepo:

  • Centralize tooling (ESLint, Vitest, TS base config) at root.
  • Convert cross-package dependencies to workspace:* ranges.
  • Make each package buildable with tsdown independently.

• When targeting arch-tsdown or arch-tsdown-cli:

  • Treat the package as a canonical TS library/CLI; keep src/ clean and side-effect free where possible.
  • Ensure binary entrypoints are small bootstrap files that import from internal modules.

• When targeting arch-unplugin:

  • Keep the unplugin core small and composable.
  • Provide clear exports for different bundlers (Vite, Rollup, Webpack, ESBuild) via the unified unplugin API.

• When targeting arch-webext-vue:

  • Separate app UI (Vue) from background/service worker logic and shared utilities.
  • Prefer shared TS libs (using arch-tsdown) for logic that can be reused outside the extension.

• When targeting arch-vscode:

  • Keep the extension host code (activation, commands) thin.
  • Move heavy logic to shared TS libs where possible.

5. Checklist: running an “arch upkeep” on a repo

Use this as a repeatable workflow:

1. Classify architecture (monorepo / lib / CLI / unplugin / webext / vscode).
2. Pick the primary arch-* skill(s) that match the desired end state.
3. Read their overview/core references and write down the target structure and scripts.
4. Plan incremental steps (layout → build → test/lint → CI → release).
5. Apply changes while keeping app logic intact.
6. Delete legacy tooling once the new pipeline passes.

After this, the project should look and behave like it was originally scaffolded from the chosen starter, which makes future maintenance and onboarding much easier.