implementing-ddd-architecture

Design and implement DDD patterns (entities, value objects, aggregates, CQRS) with strict hexagonal layer separation. Use when creating new domain objects, implementing bounded contexts, designing rep

SKILL.md

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Implementing DDD Architecture

Profile keys consumed

  • architecture.source_root
  • architecture.bounded_contexts
  • architecture.shared_context
  • persistence.mapper
  • persistence.engine
  • framework.api_platform
  • framework.graphql
  • make.deptrac
  • make.tests
  • make.ci
  • quality.deptrac_violations

Context (Input)

  • Creating new entities, value objects, or aggregates
  • Implementing bounded contexts or modules
  • Designing repository interfaces and implementations
  • Learning proper layer separation (Domain/Application/Infrastructure)
  • Need to understand CQRS pattern (Commands, Handlers, Events)
  • Code review for architectural compliance

Task (Function)

Design and implement rich domain models following DDD, hexagonal architecture, and CQRS patterns.

Success Criteria:

  • Domain entities remain framework-agnostic (no framework imports)
  • Business logic in Domain layer, not in Application handlers
  • The target mapped by make.deptrac shows zero violations — quality.deptrac_violations is a fixed ceiling shipped at 0 and may never be raised. (Score thresholds elsewhere are raise-only floors: canonical defaults are phpinsights complexity 94 and infection MSI 100; a profile may tighten them, never relax them.)
  • Repository interfaces in Domain, implementations in Infrastructure

Core Principle

Rich Domain Models, Not Anemic

Business logic belongs in the Domain layer. Application layer orchestrates, Domain executes.


Layer Dependency Rules

Domain ─────────────────> (NO dependencies - pure PHP)
           │
           │
Application ──────────> Domain + Infrastructure
           │
           │
Infrastructure ───────> Domain + Application

Allowed Dependencies:

Layer Can Import
Domain ❌ Nothing (pure PHP, SPL, domain-specific libraries only)
Application ✅ Domain, Infrastructure, framework components (API Platform when framework.api_platform is set; GraphQL when framework.graphql is true)
Infrastructure ✅ Domain, Application, framework, the persistence mapper

Persistence constructs branch on the profile. persistence.mapper selects the API: doctrine-orm → EntityManagerInterface and .orm.xml mappings; doctrine-odm → DocumentManager and .mongodb.xml mappings. persistence.engine names the backing store (mysql | mariadb | postgresql | mongodb). Use the variant your profile declares — never the other one.

See: DIRECTORY-STRUCTURE.md (in the code-organization skill) for the complete file placement guide.


Critical Rules

1. Domain Layer Purity

❌ FORBIDDEN in Domain:

  • Framework components (use Symfony\...)
  • Doctrine annotations/attributes (ORM or ODM)
  • API Platform attributes
  • Any framework-specific code

✅ ALLOWED in Domain:

  • Pure PHP
  • SPL (Standard PHP Library)
  • Domain-specific value objects
  • Domain interfaces

2. Rich Domain Models

❌ BAD (Anemic):

class Customer {
    public function setName(string $name): void {
        $this->name = $name;  // No validation!
    }
}

✅ GOOD (Rich):

class Customer {
    public function changeName(CustomerName $name): void {
        // Business rules enforced
        $this->record(new CustomerNameChanged($this->id, $name));
        $this->name = $name;
    }
}

3. Validation Pattern

❌ BAD: Validation in Domain with framework constraints

use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints as Assert;

class Customer {
    #[Assert\NotBlank]  // ❌ Framework in Domain!
    private string $name;
}

✅ GOOD: Validation in YAML config (Preferred)

# config/validator/Customer.yaml
App\Customer\Application\DTO\CustomerCreate:
  properties:
    name:
      - NotBlank: ~
      - Length:
          min: 2
          max: 100

Framework validators should always be used when possible. They provide:

  • Centralized configuration
  • Easy maintenance
  • Standard error messages
  • Built-in constraints (NotBlank, Email, Length, etc.)
  • Custom validators for business rules

Value Objects should only be used when:

  • Framework validators cannot express the business rule
  • Complex domain logic requires encapsulation
  • The validation is part of domain invariants

See: REFERENCE.md for complete validation patterns.


CQRS Pattern Quick Start

Context directories come from architecture.bounded_contexts; {Context} below stands for one of them under architecture.source_root.

Commands (Write Operations)

// <architecture.source_root>/{Context}/Application/Command/{Action}{Entity}Command.php
final readonly class CreateCustomerCommand implements CommandInterface
{
    public function __construct(
        public string $id,
        public string $name,
        public string $email
    ) {}
}

Command Handlers

// <architecture.source_root>/{Context}/Application/CommandHandler/{Action}{Entity}CommandHandler.php
final readonly class CreateCustomerCommandHandler implements CommandHandlerInterface
{
    public function __invoke(CreateCustomerCommand $command): Customer
    {
        // Minimal orchestration only
        $customer = Customer::create(
            Ulid::fromString($command->id),
            new CustomerName($command->name),
            new Email($command->email)
        );

        $this->repository->save($customer);
        $this->eventBus->publish(...$customer->pullDomainEvents());

        return $customer;
    }
}

See: REFERENCE.md for complete CQRS patterns.


Repository Pattern

Interface (Domain Layer)

// <architecture.source_root>/{Context}/Domain/Repository/{Entity}RepositoryInterface.php
interface CustomerRepositoryInterface
{
    public function save(Customer $customer): void;
    public function findById(string $id): ?Customer;
}

Implementation (Infrastructure Layer)

When persistence.mapper is doctrine-orm:

// <architecture.source_root>/{Context}/Infrastructure/Repository/{Entity}Repository.php
final class CustomerRepository implements CustomerRepositoryInterface
{
    public function __construct(
        private readonly EntityManagerInterface $entityManager
    ) {}

    public function save(Customer $customer): void
    {
        $this->entityManager->persist($customer);
        $this->entityManager->flush();
    }
}

When persistence.mapper is doctrine-odm: same shape, but inject Doctrine\ODM\MongoDB\DocumentManager and call $this->documentManager->persist()/flush().

Register in config/services.yaml:

App\Customer\Domain\Repository\CustomerRepositoryInterface:
  alias: App\Customer\Infrastructure\Repository\CustomerRepository

Domain Events Pattern

Recording Events in Aggregates

class Customer extends AggregateRoot  // Provides event recording
{
    public function changeName(CustomerName $name): void
    {
        $this->name = $name;
        $this->record(new CustomerNameChanged($this->id, $name));
    }
}

Event Subscribers

// <architecture.source_root>/{Context}/Application/EventSubscriber/{Event}Subscriber.php
final readonly class CustomerNameChangedSubscriber implements DomainEventSubscriberInterface
{
    public function __invoke(CustomerNameChanged $event): void
    {
        // React to event (e.g., send notification)
    }
}

See: REFERENCE.md for complete event-driven patterns.


Quick Start Workflows

Creating a New Entity

  1. Create Entity in Domain/Entity/
  2. Create Value Objects in Domain/ValueObject/
  3. Create Repository Interface in Domain/Repository/
  4. Create Repository Implementation in Infrastructure/Repository/
  5. Create Commands in Application/Command/
  6. Create Handlers in Application/CommandHandler/
  7. Verify: the target mapped by make.deptrac shows zero violations (if the mapping is null, the capability is absent — note it and verify the layer rules by review instead)

See: REFERENCE.md for the full ten-step workflow with code.

Fixing Deptrac Violations

If the target mapped by make.deptrac shows violations:

Use: deptrac-fixer skill for step-by-step fix patterns.


Constraints (Parameters)

NEVER

  • Add framework imports to Domain layer
  • Put business logic in Application handlers
  • Create anemic domain models (getters/setters only)
  • Modify deptrac.yaml to allow violations
  • Skip validation (either in Value Objects or YAML config)
  • Use public setters in entities
  • Use bare array, list, or iterable for domain object collections — create and pass typed collection classes instead (e.g. CustomerCollection, DomainEventCollection). Where the repository enforces this via Psalm custom rules, the rule applies to everything under architecture.source_root.
  • Use json_encode/json_decode in production source — use the framework serializer (SerializerInterface), commonly enforced by Psalm under architecture.source_root
  • Use constructor defaults that instantiate collaborators — inject dependencies instead
  • Use direct new on a value object that ships a static factory method — call the factory (e.g. {ValueObject}::fromString())
  • Use direct new on normalizers/serializers outside Doctrine custom types (Doctrine types are exempt since they lack DI support)
  • Use direct new for domain events and collections in production source code — use dedicated Factory classes instead

ALWAYS

  • Keep Domain layer pure (no framework dependencies)
  • Put business logic in Domain entities/aggregates
  • Use Value Objects for validation and invariants
  • Provide static factory methods on value objects when production code needs a stable construction path
  • Use dedicated Factory classes for domain events and collection assembly in production code
  • Create typed collection classes (implementing IteratorAggregate, Countable) when a module exposes repeated domain object groups
  • Use the framework SerializerInterface for serialization in infrastructure repositories
  • Create repository interfaces in Domain layer
  • Implement repositories in Infrastructure layer
  • Use Command Bus for write operations
  • Record Domain Events for state changes
  • Verify with the target mapped by make.deptrac after changes

Format (Output)

Expected Directory Structure

One context directory per architecture.bounded_contexts entry; a shared kernel lives at <architecture.source_root>/<architecture.shared_context>/ when the profile declares one (null = none).

<architecture.source_root>/{Context}/
├── Domain/
│   ├── Entity/
│   │   └── {Entity}.php          # Pure PHP, no attributes
│   ├── ValueObject/
│   │   └── {ValueObject}.php     # Validation logic here
│   ├── Repository/
│   │   └── {Entity}RepositoryInterface.php
│   ├── Event/
│   │   └── {Event}.php
│   └── Exception/
│       └── {Exception}.php
├── Application/
│   ├── Command/
│   │   └── {Action}{Entity}Command.php
│   ├── CommandHandler/
│   │   └── {Action}{Entity}CommandHandler.php
│   └── EventSubscriber/
│       └── {Event}Subscriber.php
└── Infrastructure/
    └── Repository/
        └── {Entity}Repository.php

Expected Deptrac Output

✅ No violations found

Verification Checklist

After implementing DDD patterns:

  • Domain entities have no framework imports
  • Business logic in Domain layer, not Application
  • Value Objects used for validation and invariants
  • Repository interfaces in Domain layer
  • Repository implementations in Infrastructure layer
  • Commands implement CommandInterface
  • Handlers implement CommandHandlerInterface
  • Domain Events recorded in aggregates
  • Event Subscribers implement DomainEventSubscriberInterface
  • Target mapped by make.deptrac shows zero violations (quality.deptrac_violations = 0, fixed ceiling)
  • All tests pass (target mapped by make.tests)
  • Target mapped by make.ci passes

Related Skills


Reference Documentation

For detailed patterns, workflows, and examples:

  • REFERENCE.md - Complete DDD workflows and patterns: layer responsibilities, the full create-an-entity workflow, Deptrac violation fixes, Doctrine configuration per persistence.mapper, event-driven details, factory patterns, and the pragmatic value-object decision guide
  • DIRECTORY-STRUCTURE.md (code-organization skill) - File placement guide (CodelyTV style)

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

❌ Business Logic in Handlers

// ❌ BAD: Logic in handler
class CreateCustomerHandler {
    public function __invoke($command) {
        if (strlen($command->name) < 2) {  // ❌ Validation in handler!
            throw new Exception();
        }
        // ...
    }
}

❌ Framework Dependencies in Domain

// ❌ BAD: framework constraint in Domain
use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints as Assert;

class Customer {
    #[Assert\NotBlank]  // ❌ Framework coupling!
    private string $name;
}

❌ Anemic Domain Models

// ❌ BAD: Just getters/setters
class Customer {
    public function setName(string $name): void {
        $this->name = $name;  // No business rules!
    }
}

✅ GOOD Patterns

  • Value Objects enforce invariants
  • Domain methods express business operations
  • Handlers orchestrate, Domain executes
  • Configuration externalized to YAML/XML

CodelyTV Architecture Pattern

This skill follows CodelyTV's hexagonal architecture patterns:

  • Directory structure: Bounded Context → Layer → Component Type
  • Naming conventions: Explicit suffixes (Command, Handler, Repository, etc.)
  • Layer isolation: Deptrac enforces boundaries
  • CQRS: Commands for writes, Queries for reads
  • Event-driven: Domain Events for decoupling

See: DIRECTORY-STRUCTURE.md (in the code-organization skill) for the complete hierarchy.