Rivière

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Library vs CLI ​

Riviere offers two paths for building architecture graphs. Choose based on your use case.

Schema version: v1.0

What you'll learn ​

  • When the CLI is the best fit (AI-assisted extraction, deterministic validation)
  • When the TypeScript library is the best fit (custom extraction, pipeline integration)
  • Which docs to read next for each path

Quick Decision ​

Use CasePath
AI-assisted extraction from codeCLI
Custom extraction logicLibrary
Shell-based automationCLI
Programmatic control in codeLibrary
Validate AI-generated componentsCLI
Embed in build pipelineLibrary

CLI Path ​

The CLI is designed for AI-assisted extraction workflows. AI analyzes code and calls CLI commands to build the graph.

Best for:

  • Extracting architecture from existing codebases
  • AI agents that need deterministic validation
  • Interactive, step-by-step graph building
  • Error recovery with near-match suggestions

How it works:

  1. AI analyzes codebase structure and patterns
  2. AI calls CLI commands to add components and links
  3. CLI validates each operation and provides feedback
  4. AI self-corrects based on CLI error messages
bash
riviere builder init --name "my-service"
riviere builder add-domain --name "orders" --type "domain" --description "Order management"
riviere builder add-component --type API --domain orders --module api \
  --http-method POST --path /orders \
  --repository my-repo --source-file src/api/orders.ts --source-line 10

Start here: CLI Quick Start

Library Path ​

The Library provides programmatic control for building graphs in TypeScript code.

Best for:

  • Custom extraction tools
  • Build pipeline integration
  • Automated graph generation
  • Testing and validation tooling

How it works:

  1. Import the RiviereBuilder class
  2. Configure metadata (sources, domains)
  3. Add components programmatically
  4. Link components and enrich with metadata
  5. Validate and export the graph
typescript
import { RiviereBuilder } from '@living-architecture/riviere-builder'

const builder = new RiviereBuilder({
  name: 'my-service',
  domains: { orders: { description: 'Order management', systemType: 'domain' } },
  sources: [{ repository: 'my-repo' }]
})

const api = builder.addApi({
  domain: 'orders',
  module: 'api',
  httpMethod: 'POST',
  path: '/orders',
  sourceLocation: { repository: 'my-repo', filePath: 'src/api/orders.ts', lineNumber: 10 }
})

const graph = builder.build()

Start here: Library Quick Start

Both Paths, Same Output ​

Library and CLI produce identical, schema-compliant Riviere graphs. Choose based on workflow, not output format.

Shared Concepts ​

Both paths use the same underlying concepts:

See Also ​