Reference
ReferenceInformative
Page classification map
Every handbook page classified by the reader's job and by whether it owns a rule.
Every page declares two independent properties in frontmatter. The complete map below is generated from those declarations; it is not a second registry.
Reader job
The four jobs come from Diátaxis:
| Job | Open it when you need to… |
|---|---|
| Tutorial | learn through a guided experience |
| How-to | accomplish a concrete goal |
| Reference | look up an exact contract, rule or fact |
| Explanation | understand reasons, boundaries or trade-offs |
Tutorial is a valid classification even when the current corpus contains none. Do not force a how-to guide into tutorial form merely to fill the category.
Authority
The authority names use established standards terminology:
| Level | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Normative | owns a rule, contract, or required/default procedure |
| Informative | explains or navigates; owns no rule |
Authority is not importance. An informative explanation can be essential, while a narrow normative page may govern only one file shape.
The split test
A page may carry examples and short rationale that support its primary job. Split it when a substantial section is independently useful for a different job: a procedure someone follows, a contract someone looks up, or reasoning someone reads to challenge the rule.
Complete map
| Page | Reader job | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering handbook /docs | Reference | Informative |
| The standing default /docs/architecture | Reference | Normative |
| Feature structure /docs/architecture/feature-structure | Reference | Normative |
| Hexagonal architecture /docs/architecture/hexagonal | Reference | Normative |
| Micro-frontends /docs/architecture/micro-frontends | Reference | Normative |
| The operation /docs/architecture/the-operation | Reference | Normative |
| Artefacts and authority /docs/artefacts | Reference | Normative |
| The brief /docs/artefacts/brief | How-to | Normative |
| Decision records /docs/artefacts/decision-records | How-to | Normative |
| The domain model /docs/artefacts/domain-model | How-to | Normative |
| Open questions /docs/artefacts/open-questions | How-to | Normative |
| Panels — interview and roast /docs/artefacts/panels | How-to | Normative |
| The product reference /docs/artefacts/product-reference | Reference | Normative |
| The module reference /docs/artefacts/specification | Reference | Normative |
| Tasks /docs/artefacts/tasks | Reference | Normative |
| The work register /docs/artefacts/work-register | Reference | Normative |
| How-to guides /docs/how-to | Reference | Informative |
| Build an application shell /docs/how-to/build-an-app-shell | How-to | Normative |
| Document a project /docs/how-to/document-a-project | How-to | Normative |
| Name and wire navigation /docs/how-to/navigation-and-breadcrumbs | How-to | Normative |
| Plan delivery /docs/how-to/plan-delivery | How-to | Normative |
| Set up the UI system /docs/how-to/set-up-ui-system | How-to | Normative |
| The method /docs/method | How-to | Normative |
| The configurability boundary /docs/method/configurability | Explanation | Informative |
| The four lenses /docs/method/lenses | How-to | Normative |
| Naming /docs/method/naming | Reference | Normative |
| Open systems /docs/method/open-systems | Explanation | Informative |
| The eight principles /docs/method/principles | Reference | Normative |
| Red flags /docs/method/red-flags | Reference | Normative |
| Practices /docs/practices | Reference | Informative |
| The design system /docs/practices/design-system | Reference | Normative |
| Empty states /docs/practices/empty-states | Reference | Normative |
| Iconography /docs/practices/iconography | Reference | Normative |
| Layout and spacing /docs/practices/layout-and-spacing | Reference | Normative |
| Motion and polish /docs/practices/motion-and-polish | Reference | Normative |
| Registers /docs/practices/registers | Reference | Normative |
| Testing /docs/practices/testing | Reference | Normative |
| Agent prompt standard /docs/prompts | Reference | Normative |
| Audit a Java backend /docs/prompts/security-auditor | How-to | Normative |
| Rationale /docs/rationale | Explanation | Informative |
| Reference /docs/reference | Reference | Informative |
| The checking scripts /docs/reference/checks | Reference | Normative |
| Domain model notation /docs/reference/domain-model-notation | Reference | Normative |
| Glossary /docs/reference/glossary | Reference | Normative |
| Page classification map /docs/reference/page-map | Reference | Informative |
| Standards adopted /docs/reference/standards | Reference | Normative |
| Tools /docs/reference/tools | Reference | Normative |
| Default stack choices /docs/stacks | Reference | Normative |
| Astro /docs/stacks/astro | Reference | Normative |
| Go /docs/stacks/go | Reference | Normative |
| Go services /docs/stacks/go-services | Reference | Normative |
| Java /docs/stacks/java | Reference | Normative |
| Railway /docs/stacks/railway | Reference | Normative |
| Spring Boot /docs/stacks/spring-boot | Reference | Normative |
| Tailwind and shadcn/ui /docs/stacks/tailwind-shadcn | Reference | Normative |
| TanStack Start /docs/stacks/tanstack-start | Reference | Normative |
| Vite /docs/stacks/vite | Reference | Normative |
| Engineering standards /docs/standards | Reference | Informative |
| Start here /docs/start | Reference | Informative |
| Evidence and forecast /docs/start/evidence-and-forecast | Reference | Normative |
| Git conventions /docs/start/git | Reference | Normative |
| How to read this /docs/start/how-to-read-this | Reference | Normative |
| Reporting /docs/start/reporting | Reference | Normative |
| Secrets /docs/start/secrets | Reference | Normative |
| Working agreement /docs/start/working-agreement | Reference | Normative |