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name: domain-driven-design description: This skill should be used when designing software architecture, modeling domains, reviewing code for DDD compliance, identifying bounded contexts, designing aggregates, or discussing strategic and tactical DDD patterns. Provides comprehensive Domain-Driven Design principles, axioms, heuristics, and anti-patterns for building maintainable, domain-centric software systems.

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Domain-Driven Design

Overview

Domain-Driven Design (DDD) is an approach to software development that centers the design on the core business domain. This skill provides principles, patterns, and heuristics for both strategic design (system boundaries and relationships) and tactical design (code-level patterns).

When to Apply This Skill

• Designing new systems or features with complex business logic
• Identifying and defining bounded contexts
• Modeling aggregates, entities, and value objects
• Reviewing code for DDD pattern compliance
• Decomposing monoliths into services
• Establishing ubiquitous language with domain experts

Core Axioms

Axiom 1: The Domain is Supreme

Software exists to solve domain problems. Technical decisions serve the domain, not vice versa. When technical elegance conflicts with domain clarity, domain clarity wins.

Axiom 2: Language Creates Reality

The ubiquitous language shapes how teams think about the domain. Ambiguous language creates ambiguous software. Invest heavily in precise terminology.

Axiom 3: Boundaries Enable Autonomy

Explicit boundaries (bounded contexts) allow teams to evolve independently. The cost of integration is worth the benefit of isolation.

Axiom 4: Models are Imperfect Approximations

No model captures all domain complexity. Accept that models simplify reality. Refine models continuously as understanding deepens.

Strategic Design Quick Reference

Pattern	Purpose	Key Heuristic
Bounded Context	Define linguistic/model boundaries	One team, one language, one model
Context Map	Document context relationships	Make implicit integrations explicit
Subdomain	Classify domain areas by value	Core (invest), Supporting (adequate), Generic (outsource)
Ubiquitous Language	Shared vocabulary	If experts don't use the term, neither should code

For detailed strategic patterns, consult references/strategic-patterns.md.

Tactical Design Quick Reference

Pattern	Purpose	Key Heuristic
Entity	Identity-tracked object	"Same identity = same thing" regardless of attributes
Value Object	Immutable, identity-less	Equality by value, always immutable, self-validating
Aggregate	Consistency boundary	Small aggregates, reference by ID, one transaction = one aggregate
Domain Event	Record state changes	Past tense naming, immutable, contains all relevant data
Repository	Collection abstraction	One per aggregate root, domain-focused interface
Domain Service	Stateless operations	When logic doesn't belong to any single entity
Factory	Complex object creation	When construction logic is complex or variable

For detailed tactical patterns, consult references/tactical-patterns.md.

Essential Heuristics

Aggregate Design Heuristics

1. Protect business invariants inside aggregate boundaries - If two pieces of data must be consistent, they belong in the same aggregate
2. Design small aggregates - Large aggregates cause concurrency issues and slow performance
3. Reference other aggregates by identity only - Never hold direct object references across aggregate boundaries
4. Update one aggregate per transaction - Eventual consistency across aggregates using domain events
5. Aggregate roots are the only entry point - External code never reaches inside to manipulate child entities

Bounded Context Heuristics

1. Linguistic boundaries - When the same word means different things, you have different contexts
2. Team boundaries - One context per team enables autonomy
3. Process boundaries - Different business processes often indicate different contexts
4. Data ownership - Each context owns its data; no shared databases

Modeling Heuristics

1. Nouns → Entities or Value Objects - Things with identity become entities; descriptive things become value objects
2. Verbs → Domain Services or Methods - Actions become methods on entities or stateless services
3. Business rules → Invariants - Rules the domain must always satisfy become aggregate invariants
4. Events in domain expert language → Domain Events - "When X happens" becomes a domain event

Decision Guides

Entity vs Value Object

Does this thing have a lifecycle and identity that matters?
├─ YES → Is identity based on an ID (not attributes)?
│        ├─ YES → Entity
│        └─ NO  → Reconsider; might be Value Object with natural key
└─ NO  → Value Object

Where Does This Logic Belong?

Is this logic stateless?
├─ NO  → Does it belong to a single aggregate?
│        ├─ YES → Method on the aggregate/entity
│        └─ NO  → Reconsider aggregate boundaries
└─ YES → Does it coordinate multiple aggregates?
         ├─ YES → Application Service
         └─ NO  → Does it represent a domain concept?
                  ├─ YES → Domain Service
                  └─ NO  → Infrastructure Service

Should This Be a Separate Bounded Context?

Do different stakeholders use different language for this?
├─ YES → Separate bounded context
└─ NO  → Does a different team own this?
         ├─ YES → Separate bounded context
         └─ NO  → Would a separate model reduce complexity?
                  ├─ YES → Consider separation (but weigh integration cost)
                  └─ NO  → Keep in current context

Anti-Patterns Overview

Anti-Pattern	Description	Fix
Anemic Domain Model	Entities with only getters/setters	Move behavior into domain objects
Big Ball of Mud	No clear boundaries	Identify bounded contexts
Smart UI	Business logic in presentation layer	Extract domain layer
Database-Driven Design	Model follows database schema	Model follows domain, map to database
Leaky Abstractions	Infrastructure concerns in domain	Dependency inversion, ports and adapters
God Aggregate	One aggregate does everything	Split by invariant boundaries
Premature Abstraction	Abstracting before understanding	Concrete first, abstract when patterns emerge

For detailed anti-patterns and remediation, consult references/anti-patterns.md.

Implementation Checklist

When implementing DDD in a codebase:

• [ ] Ubiquitous language documented and used consistently in code
• [ ] Bounded contexts identified with clear boundaries
• [ ] Context map documenting integration patterns
• [ ] Aggregates designed small with clear invariants
• [ ] Entities have behavior, not just data
• [ ] Value objects are immutable and self-validating
• [ ] Domain events capture important state changes
• [ ] Repositories abstract persistence for aggregate roots
• [ ] No business logic in application services (orchestration only)
• [ ] No infrastructure concerns in domain layer

Resources

references/

• strategic-patterns.md - Detailed strategic DDD patterns including bounded contexts, context maps, subdomain classification, and ubiquitous language
• tactical-patterns.md - Detailed tactical DDD patterns including entities, value objects, aggregates, domain events, repositories, and services
• anti-patterns.md - Common DDD anti-patterns, how to identify them, and remediation strategies

To search references for specific topics:

• Bounded contexts: grep -i "bounded context" references/
• Aggregate design: grep -i "aggregate" references/
• Value objects: grep -i "value object" references/