Versioning Constitutions

Core Principle

Constitution versions are immutable snapshots of architectural truth.

When foundational rules change (patterns, tech stack, architecture), create a new version rather than editing in place. This preserves history, enables rollback, and makes changes explicit.

When to Use This Skill

ALWAYS create a new version when:

• Adding a new mandatory pattern (e.g., adopting effect-ts for error handling)
• Removing OR relaxing a mandatory pattern (e.g., making next-safe-action optional)
• Changing tech stack (e.g., migrating from Prisma to Drizzle)
• Updating architectural boundaries (e.g., adding new layer)
• Deprecating rules that are no longer valid
• Major library version changes with breaking patterns (e.g., Next.js 15 → 16)

CRITICAL: Removing or relaxing a mandatory pattern ALWAYS requires a new version, even if existing code would still work. "Non-breaking" is not sufficient - any change to mandatory patterns needs versioning for audit trail.